Qatar MotoGP Testing Results: Suzuki 1-2, Alex Marquez crashes twice

Team Suzuki Ecstar continued its encouraging showing during pre-season MotoGP testing as it kicked off the first of three days running at the Losail International Circuit with a 1-2 on the timesheets.

With the best laps coming in the cooler evening temperatures and once the dusty track had rubbered in, both Alex Rins and Joan Mir swept to the head of the leaderboard split by just 0.002s in favour of the former.

Their efforts were enough to demote Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, who had led into the final hour, with Danilo Petrucci also leaping towards the front of the timesheets in the closing stages, the top four less than two tenths apart.

Franco Morbidelli was the quickest of the Petronas SRT Yamaha duo in fifth position, with team-mate and Sepang pace setter Fabio Quartararo in eighth as he continues to adapt to the 2020 Yamaha M1.

Between them, the still recovering Marc Marquez crept closer to the front of the field in sixth position on the Repsol Honda after completing 42 laps, just ahead Valentino Rossi as all four Yamaha riders filled the top eight positions.

Pecco Bagnaia was ninth best, ahead of top Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro, the Spaniard leading the way in daytime hours but slipping back as the circuit became quicker.

Elsewhere, it was a tougher start to the test for some of the more fancied runners with both Andrea Dovizioso and Jack Miller laying down their Ducatis en route to 11th and 13th respectively, while rookie Alex Marquez had a trying day after crashes at both Turn 7 and Turn 10 over the course of the day. Though it didn’t hamper his workload as he completed 57 laps in total, he could only manage the 21st best time, two seconds off the top.

MotoGP testing in Qatar – the last before the season kicks off at the same circuit in March - continues on Sunday and Monday.

2020 MotoGP Testing - Losail, Qatar [Day 1/3]