2024 Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Sprint Race Results

Jorge Martin took a confident lights-to-flag victory in the season-opening Qatar MotoGP Sprint race at Lusail on Saturday night.

The Pramac Ducati star was joined on the podium by KTM’s Brad Binder and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Marc Marquez’s debut race as a Gresini Ducati rider peaked at fourth place before a small mistake saw the Spaniard drop to fifth, crossing the line in the wheeltracks of Ducati's reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia.

Pole qualifier and last November’s Sprint winner Martin surged off the line to keep fellow front-row starter Binder at bay, while Espargaro slipped from second to fourth behind Enea Bastianini.

Martin remained at the head of a six rider lead group - followed by Binder, Bagnaia, Espargaro, Bastianini and Marc Marquez - by the midway stage of the 11 laps.

Martin then upped his pace and began edging slightly clear of the KTM, while Marc Marquez worked his way past Bastianini and then Espargaro to be within touch of a podium with 5 laps to go.

Next in his sights was Bagnaia, but before Marquez could attack he ran wide, allowing Espargaro back ahead.

Espargaro continued his charge by pouncing on Bagnaia with two laps to go, but was immediately repassed at the next turn. The #41’s next attempt was more effective, handing the RS-GP rider a podium.

Alex Marquez spent much of the Sprint in a lonely seventh, with rookie Pedro Acosta, who has turned heads in winter testing and free practice, finishing where he had started in a solid eighth.

Jack Miller, one of the few riders to chose the soft front tyre, suffered a nightmare second lap, dropping from sixth to tenth, where he remained.

Fabio Quartararo was the top rider on a Japanese bike, in 12th, behind Marco Bezzecchi.

Bezzecchi’s new VR46 team-mate and last year’s winner Fabio di Giannantonio suffered a strange accident on lap 3, falling off the side of his Ducati and was lucky not to be hit by following bikes.

The Italian, who was in seventh place, appeared in discomfort and needed assistance from marshals.

Luca Marini finished 21st and last on his Repsol Honda debut.

• Qatar Moto2: Latest Results
• Qatar Moto3: Latest Results

Franco Morbidelli is riding for the first time since Valencia last November. The new Pramac Ducati rider missed both pre-season tests as a precaution after being knocked unconscious in a January training accident.

Miguel Oliveira will have a long lap penalty to serve on Sunday, carried over from last November’s Qatar event, the Portuguese having missed the 2023 Valencia finale due to injury.

Revised tyre pressure rules for 2024 mean riders must now stay above a lower front minimum of 1.8 bar (instead of 1.88) for 60% (instead of 50%) of a Grand Prix distance, or 30% of a Sprint.

The penalty for failing to meet this minimum in a Grand Prix will be a 16-second post-race time penalty, or an 8-second penalty for a Sprint/short race.