17:00
Improvement from Marquez but 0.142s off Di Giannantonio for P2.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, 2026 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
LIVE
Qatar MotoGP Friday practice as it happened
Live coverage of the Friday practice sessions at the 2026 Qatar MotoGP from the Lusail International Circuit near Doha.
Live updates of Friday's practice sessions from the 2026 Qatar MotoGP at the Lusail International Circuit, the only night race of the season. Practice is due to start at 19:00 local time after Marc Marquez topped FP1.
Key Moments
- Di Giannantonio breaks lap record late on to top Practice from Marquez, Bezzecchi
- Bezzecchi leads Di Giannantonio ahead of final time attacks
- Marquez the first into 1m50s after chain issue
- Di Giannantonio takes over at the top as Marquez perseveres with medium tyres
- Bezzecchi continues to lead as time attacks begin in PR
- Bezzecchi fastest early in PR despite Bastianini, Dixon moments
- Marquez tops FP1 from Bezzecchi; Martin fifth in opening practice
- Acosta's bike stops on final lap of first practice
- Lap one crash for Mir replacement Dixon
Marc Marquez leads the MotoGP riders' standings coming into Qatar and as the most recent winner - both in Qatar, last year, and this season, last weekend in Malaysia. The Malaysia win gives the Spaniard a mathematical title chance in Qatar; he needs to take 30 points off Jorge Martin this weekend and eight off Marco Bezzecchi. The weekend started well for the Ducati rider, who was fastest in FP1.
Bezzecchi has never finished on a MotoGP podium at Qatar, or a grand prix podium for that matter. His best result in all classes came in 2021, when he was fourth in both Lusail races, while his best MotoGP result there is a ninth taken last year. Despite his subpar record at the Middle East venue, Bezzecchi was good in FP1, finishing second-fastest to Marquez.
For Martin, Qatar has been a good track in the past - he was on the podium for the first time in MotoGP there in 2021, and he was strong in 2024, too, finishing third at that year's opener. But he arrives here still suffering with the broken wrist he sustained in Phillip Island. He was passed fit for Qatar this morning, but did withdraw midway through the previous round in Malaysia. In any case, the weekend started much better for Martin in Doha than it did in Sepang - a solid fifth in FP1.
Raul Fernandez is also set to ride this weekend, although he still has the broken fingers from Indonesia. Similarly, Fermin Aldeguer is in Qatar for this race, but he hasn't raced since he broke bones in his hand, also in Indonesia.
Aldeguer's team-mate, Alex Marquez, is not present this weekend after he had surgery on his right shoulder following the Malaysia race. The Spaniard is replaced by Iker Lecuona at Gresini.
Joan Mir is also absent after his illness problems resurfaced during the race in Malaysia. He is replaced by Honda WorldSBK rider Jake Dixon, who crashed on his first lap of FP1, but finished just over three seconds off the pace.
None of the Yamaha riders are in Qatar after the company elected not to send its teams to the race due to the ongoing instability in the Middle East region.
06 Nov 2026
19:17
Diggia makes a breakthrough, but not in top speed
di Giannantonio hints at “mistakes” after “bittersweet” Qatar MotoGP lap record
Fabio di Giannantonio, 2026 Qatar MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
18:49
Injured Jorge Martin "proud" of Friday performance in Qatar
Jorge Martin “proud” of Qatar MotoGP comeback: “I almost don't feel the pain”
Jorge Martin, 2026 Qatar MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
18:34
Toto Wolff takes swipe at MotoGP riders ‘who know nothing’ over Qatar standoff
Toto Wolff was critical of how some MotoGP riders have handled the Qatar GP situation.
Toto Wolff takes swipe at MotoGP riders ‘who know nothing’ over Qatar standoff
Toto Wolff, Mercedes F1 team
© XPB Images
17:59
Di Giannantonio "30 horsepower" down
Fabio Di Giannantonio was fastest in Practice today in Qatar, despite being, according to VR46 team boss Pablo Nieto, "30 horsepower" down on other Ducati riders.
Full story here.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, 2026 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
17:13
Report: Marc Marquez suffers bike issue in Qatar MotoGP Practice, Di Giannantonio fastest
Fabio Di Giannantonio set a new lap record to lead Practice at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez suffers bike issue in Qatar MotoGP Practice, Di Giannantonio fastest
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
17:04
Qatar MotoGP: Practice Results
2026 Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Friday Practice Results
Fabio di Giannantonio, 2026 Qatar MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
17:02
Di Giannantonio tops PR
Chequered flag is out on Practice and it's Di Giannantonio who ends fastest. Marquez second from Bezzecchi.
Bagnaia fourth, then Fernandez, Bastianini, Martin, Zarco, Ogura, and Binder.
Acosta the the biggest name to miss out on Q2 in P14, 1.169s behind Di Giannantonio.
16:59
Bezzecchi's improved, but stays second and over 0.2s behind Di Giannantonio.
16:57
Di Giannantonio back to the top on a 1m50.406s, almost 0.3s ahead of Bezzecchi and a new lap record for the Italian.
Behind, Marquez has blown the third sector on his latest lap.
16:56
Bagnaia was 0.2s up on Bezzecchi's time after two splits. He lost it all in the final sector, though, and ends up 0.094s behind, still goes up to second, though. The best he's looked for a long time.
Not to put and dampeners on hopes he might've finally found the silver bullet to his grip issues but the solution is probably Lusail's track surface.
16:53
Vinales has stopped on pit entry, being pushed back by Tech3 mechanics.
16:50
Bezzecchi improves, 1m50.694 to go fastest. He towed Martin to fifth on a 1m51.100s in the process.
Di Giannantonio also up to second, was just ahead of Bezzecchi on track.
16:47
Ducati 1-2-3
Marquez out on a soft rear for the first time and he goes fastest with a 1m50.925s - first 1m50s of the weekend.
Bagnaia behind him goes second on a 1m51.087s.
Factory Ducati 1-2 now ahead of the VR46 Ducati of Di Giannantonio in third.
16:40
Vinales up into the top-10, P8 with a 1m52.270s. Could be back-to-back Q2s for the Spaniard after he made it last weekend.
16:36
Marquez problem
Marquez was continuing to persevere with those medium tyres, but he's stopped on the exit of the final corner - his chain has snapped.
He's back down pit lane now, so nothing too dramatic, but not ideal for the championship leader who is P5 at the moment in Practice.
16:30
Marquez a second off
Marquez improves to a 1m52.161s, a second slower than Di Giannantonio. Crisis? No, he's still on the medium tyres he started the session with.
16:29
Di Giannantonio fastest
Di Giannantonio now to the top with a 1m51.104s, 0.078s ahead of Bezzecchi.
16:29
Bezzecchi was on course to improve again on his second lap but lost time in the final split compared to his best - no obvious mistake.
16:27
First time attack from Bezzecchi with 33 minutes to go and he extends that gap back out to 0.820s over Ogura.
Di Giannantonio improves behind him but still 0.4s off Bezzecchi's best.
16:25
Ogura up to second with a 1m52.002s. Lusail doesn't really stand out as an 'Ogura track', necessarily, but he's just a couple of tenths off Bezzecchi now.
16:15
Seven-lap stint for Martin ends with him 0.9s off the pace of his team-mate but sixth-fastest and with his best lap time on the final lap of that run - encouraging for his chances of continuing the weekend.
16:13
Bezzecchi improves again but an improvement from Bagnaia to go second means the gap at the top is still 0.655s.
16:11
1m51.807s now from Bezzecchi and he's 0.655s clear of Marquez. Strong start to the evening session from the Italian.
16:10
Mistake from Martin at turn six, just slid the rear a little in braking but it looks like he was actually being disturbed by his nose tape, which he's now discarded.