Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro topped the opening MotoGP free practice session in Qatar this afternoon, edging out Alex Rins’ Ecstar Suzuki by 0.060s with last weekend’s winner Maverick Vinales in third.
Espargaro set the early pace on the all-new RS-GP, using a hard front/medium rear combination and exchanged times with both Vinales and Frany Morbidelli before banging in a 1’54.779 on his 11th lap to steal top spot.
Vinales had been leading with a 1’54.864 but he was bumped into second and then third as Rins put in a 1’54.839 and rookie Jorge Martin leapt into fourth place with his best of 1’55.019.
Petronas Yamaha’s Franky Morbidelli slipped back to fifth despite setting two very quick laps - the best being a 1’55.125 - but was twice shown the meatball flag for a smoking engine.
Danilo Petrucci, whose season opening GP lasted about ten seconds, briefly topped the times with a 1’55.263 but finished in fifth, way ahead of the other KTM runners.
Fabio Quartararo finished in seventh and half a second off the pace with Joan Mir right behind him.
Johann Zarco became the first faller of the day as his Ducati hit the deck at turn 15, the Frenchman sliding off unhurt with half an hour to go, just as Takaaki Nakagami impressed by sending his LCR Honda up to second, a mere 0.046 behind Espargaro. Morbidelli continued to struggle with his Petronas, as the Italian again left the track at turn one at the half-way stage.
Miguel Oliveira seemed to be finding his way with the KTM as he made his way up the times, in eighth, before Danillo Petrucci did likewise, surprising the standings to take P1 with a 1’55.263. Rins held third as the final 15 minutes got going, ahead of Repsol Honda’s impressive stand-in Stefan Bradl, Nakagami and a pair of factory Yamaha’s.
With the gremlins removed, Morbidelli took charge as he advanced his M1 back to the top of the times, over a tenth ahead of the Tech3’s previous best. His confidence growing as he looked to improve further before the attempt was cut short once again by the black and orange flags.
Half a second split the top-nine as Pol Espargaro moved in to split the Yamaha’s, Viñales heading the times shortly after with a ’55.0 and five minutes left to play.
As the clocks counted down, the Aprilia was back out and menacing the times, briefly taking control before Viñales struck back, Jorge Martin jumping up to sit third on his Pramac, with just one minute to go. Espargaro and Viñales continued to play cat and mouse in the closing seconds with the Aprilia holding fast at the top with a 1’54.779.
Rins stole second at the flag from Viñales and Martin with Morbidelli concluding a difficult start in fifth. Petrucci sat sixth with a vastly improved FP1 compared to last-time-out, ahead of Quartararo, Joan Mir, Bradl and Nakagami. Luca Marini began his second weekend in MotoGP in 11th from the younger Espargaro and Alex Marquez with Enea Bastianini heading Oliveira and Brad Binder’s KTM’s.
Rossi completed the opening session in 17th ahead of Jack Miller, Iker Lecuona, Pecco Bagnaia, Lorenzo Savadori and the fallen Zarco.
