Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin continued his dominance in Doha with a pole position to back up last season’s MotoGP success.
1’53.011 placed the Spaniard on top of a frantic qualifying shootout, holding off Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini and eight-time champion Marc Marquez in the closing seconds as Fabio Quartararo prepared to line up for the first race of his title defence from 11th.
The hunt to control the first grid of the 2022 MotoGP season started with some big hitters facing the Q1 fight. Reigning World Champion Quartararo, his former teammate Maverick Viñales, Andrea Dovizioso and Johann Zarco amongst the 14 riders vying for just two promotion places.
The opening efforts found Zarco out front having just topped FP4 before fellow Frenchman Quartararo took charge with a 1’53.654. Mooney VR46 rookie Marco Bezzecchi impressed in third with a 1’53.9 ahead of Takaaki Nakagami and Miguel Oliveira before KTM teammate Brad Binder arrived to claim second.
Luca Marini’s second season in the premier class began from seventh as he continued to struggle with his 2022-spec Ducati, while last year’s victor, Viñales trailed in eighth. Fabio Di Giannantonio sat ninth as he got to grips with his Gresini Racing GP21 ahead of Alex Marquez, the KTM Tech3 rookies of Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner, and RNF Yamaha’s Dovizioso and Darryn Binder.
The latter rookie suffered his first fall at turn five as the final minute began, the yellow flags flying ahead of the final push as Quartararo’s red lap fell away in the final sector as he looked to improve.
Zarco found the flag without improving due to the previous yellows as the elder Binder took the lead on 1’53.512 pace. Oliveira pushed hard in the dying seconds but Quartararo remained safe in second, and relieved to progress to the pole shootout.
The final action fired up under the lights with Quartararo heading out for an initial run on medium tyres. Repsol Honda’s Marquez setting the opening 1’53.566 target with Ducati Lenovo riders Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller a tenth each adrift in second and third and Aleix Espargaro fourth.
Bastianini continued his strong showing on the 2021 Ducati from fifth as his factory cohort Miller hit the top with a 1’53.411. Pol Espargaro arrived to second as Martin slid the Pramac into third moments later with less than two-tenths covering the top five.
Suzuki circulated each side of the Monster Energy Yamahas from eighth to 11th as the track fell quiet. Binder choosing to sit out of the opening run due to a lack of tyres with a one-and-done strategy left for the closing minutes.
Marquez kicked off the final action as he had the first, from the top, with Bagnaia sitting second. A treble of red sector laps beginning to register as Miller, Martin and Pol Espargaro circulated en masse with Joan Mir and Binder for company.
Martin claimed the celebrations with a provisional pole time of 1’53.011 as Miller took third. Binder and Espargaro demoting last year’s runner up to sixth before the Aprilia’s time was deleted. The younger brother pushed hard in the closing seconds as he promoted the Repsol to fourth but the sibling rivalry wasn’t done yet. Aleix claiming the position at the flag before FP3’s hero Bastianini stormed the Gresini into second, knocking Miller off the front row.
Suzuki’s Friday prowess appeared to dissolve in the desert gloom as Mir completed qualifying in eighth with Alex Rins a disappointing tenth. Bagnaia likewise frustrated in between the Ecstar pairing but it was Yamaha who looked the most forlorn as Quartararo headed Franky Morbidelli at the back of the top 12.
