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

Alex Rins and Joan Mir lead the way for Suzuki on day one of the Qatar MotoGP test; Dovizioso, Miller and Alex Marquez all suffer crashes

Alex Rins - Suzuki Ecstar

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]

Official Qatar MotoGP Test - Results [Day 1/3]
PosRiderNat.TeamTimes
1Alex RinsESPTeam Suzuki Ecstar1m 52.462
2Joan MirESPTeam Suzuki Ecstar1m 54.464
3Maverick VinalesESPYamaha Factory Racing1m 54.494
4Danilo PetrucciITADucati Team1m 54.634
5Franco MorbidelliITAPetronas SRT Yamaha1m 54.700
6Marc MarquezESPRepsol Honda Team1m 54.823
7Valentino RossiITAYamaha Factory Racing1m 54.876
8Fabio QuartararoFRAPetronas SRT Yamaha1m 55.074
9Francesco BagnaiaITAPramac Ducati1m 55.204
10Aleix EspargaroESPAprilia Racing Gresini1m 55.268
11Andrea DoviziosoITADucati Team1m 55.308
12Johann ZarcoFRAAvintia Ducati1m 55.360
13Jack MillerAUSPramac Ducati1m 55.430
14Pol EspargaroESPRed Bull KTM Factory1m 55.449
15Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda1m 55.627
16Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM Factory1m 55.644
17Tito RabatESPAvintia Ducati1m 55.707
18Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM Tech 31m 55.737
19Cal CrutchlowGBRLCR Honda1m 55.757
20Iker LecuonaESPRed Bull KTM Tech 31m 56.135
21Alex MarquezESPRepsol Honda Team1m 56.552
22Bradley SmithGBRAprilia Racing Gresini1m 57.027