Here we go again for a few laps.
The MotoGP season begins in this second weekend of March with the Qatar Grand Prix contested on the Lusail track.
The first laps of the wheel favored the Spaniard Jorge Martin who won the first sprint race on Saturday.
“I struggled a lot,” “Martinator” also admitted.
“Today we succeeded, but tomorrow (Sunday, GP day), if we continue like this, it will no longer be possible.”
Starting in pole position, the reigning vice-world champion beat the South African Brad Binder (KTM) and the Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), 3rd.
The outgoing double world champion, the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), long 3rd, finally finished just off the podium.
5th place went to Marc Marquez, six-time MotoGP world champion and star rookie of the Gresini team (Ducati satellite) whom several observers see quickly joining the fight for the first places on the handlebars of his new mount.
🥇 Jorge Martin is still the boss of the sprint!
He won ahead of Binder, Espargaro, Bagnaia and Marquez 🏍️
🇫🇷 Fabio finished 12th, Johann 16th.
#QatarGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/YXLXtUb9Av
— CANAL+ MotoGP™ (@CanalplusMotoGP) March 9, 2024
For his first weekend in the elite, the Spaniard Pedro Acosta crossed the finish line 8th and therefore scored his first points in MotoGP.
Considered one of the greatest MotoGP hopes since Marquez, the 19-year-old young rider joined the French team GasGas-Tech3 this year.
Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) finished 12th, his compatriot Johann Zarco, who spent this season at Honda-LCR, 16th.
“I had good feelings,” the latter confides about his new toy at the microphone of Canal +.
But afterwards I felt vibrations that I already had in qualifying in the fast corners.
It started right from the start and got worse on the rear tire.
I wasted too much time.
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Jorge Martin will start this Sunday in pole position for the Grand Prix after setting the best time in qualifying and in the process recovering the lap record of the wind-swept Lusail circuit.
He will start in front of Espargaro and the Italian Enea Bastianini (Ducati), 6th in the sprint race on Saturday.
Francesco Bagnaia will be on the 2nd row, in 5th position.
He will again slot in between Binder (KTM), 4th, and Marquez, 6th.
The start of the GP will be at 8 p.m. local Sunday (6 p.m. in Paris) for this only night event on the calendar.