2022 Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Free Practice (1) Results
A frantic end to opening practice for the 2022 MotoGP season-opener in Qatar finished with Brad Binder and KTM a surprise fastest.
Aleix Espargaro kept Aprilia on top of the timesheets ahead of Marc Marquez's Honda for much of the session, before Joan Mir took control.
Team-mate Alex Rins then became he only rider to put in new soft tyres to lead the session on a 1m 55.277s, but LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakagami and Binder (hard front, medium rear) soon vaulted ahead of the Spaniard. Pol Espargaro, also on a new rear tyre, snatched a late fourth to make it three Hondas in the top six.
Title runner-up Francesco Bagnaia, who like team-mate Jack Miller has chosen a 'hybrid' version of the GP22 engine featuring GP21 parts, fell at Turn 6 in the closing minutes.
Almost all riders began the session on hard tyres due to the afternoon heat, before the final push.
The lower bodywork on Darryn Binder's RNF Yamaha came lose at the start of the session, forcing him to be called back to the pits.
Fellow rookie Fabio di Giannantonio was the first faller of the season, with 15mins to go. The Gresini rider walked away unharmed.
As expected, all four Yamaha riders suffered in terms of top speed. The top 15 were covered by less than one-second.
Unlike in previous years, there has been no pre-season testing held at the circuit, meaning teams and riders go into the event without any track data since last year's Doha double.
The race start time has also been moved forwards, to 18:00, shortly after sunset. The opening MotoGP sessions of each day (FP1, FP3 and Warm-up), plus all of the Moto3 and Moto2 track action will thus take place in daylight.
This evening's FP2, in darkness, is thus expected to be the fastest of the three free practice sessions and decide the top ten riders for direct Qualifying 2 access on Saturday.
Yamaha took victory in both of last year's races courtesy of a win each for Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo.
| Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Free Practice (1) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 1'54.851s | 15/16 | 347k |
| 2 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.056s | 16/17 | 351k |
| 3 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.127s | 16/17 | 355k |
| 4 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.275s | 17/17 | 351k |
| 5 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.286s | 17/18 | 353k |
| 6 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.443s | 17/18 | 345k |
| 7 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.520s | 13/16 | 353k |
| 8 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.527s | 5/16 | 348k |
| 9 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.534s | 17/17 | 350k |
| 10 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.619s | 16/17 | 347k |
| 11 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.749s | 17/18 | 345k |
| 12 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.837s | 13/17 | 353k |
| 13 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.894s | 13/18 | 353k |
| 14 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | +0.917s | 14/14 | 353k |
| 15 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.964s | 16/16 | 348k |
| 16 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | +1.044s | 16/17 | 344k |
| 17 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +1.109s | 4/12 | 353k |
| 18 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +1.261s | 14/14 | 348k |
| 19 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.411s | 16/16 | 347k |
| 20 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +1.689s | 10/13 | 348k |
| 21 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.809s | 11/16 | 352k |
| 22 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | +1.902s | 8/14 | 351k |
| 23 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | +2.496s | 13/16 | 344k |
| 24 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | +2.579s | 14/14 | 348k |
Official Qatar MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 52.772s (2021)
Fastest race lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 54.491s (2021)
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
