16:10
Mistake from Martin at turn six, just slid the rear a little in braking but it looks like he was actually being disturbed by his nose tape, which he's now discarded.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, 2026 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
Qatar MotoGP Friday practice as it happened
Live coverage of the Friday practice sessions at the 2026 Qatar MotoGP from the Lusail International Circuit near Doha.
Live updates of Friday's practice sessions from the 2026 Qatar MotoGP at the Lusail International Circuit, the only night race of the season. Practice is due to start at 19:00 local time after Marc Marquez topped FP1.
Key Moments
- Di Giannantonio breaks lap record late on to top Practice from Marquez, Bezzecchi
- Bezzecchi leads Di Giannantonio ahead of final time attacks
- Marquez the first into 1m50s after chain issue
- Di Giannantonio takes over at the top as Marquez perseveres with medium tyres
- Bezzecchi continues to lead as time attacks begin in PR
- Bezzecchi fastest early in PR despite Bastianini, Dixon moments
- Marquez tops FP1 from Bezzecchi; Martin fifth in opening practice
- Acosta's bike stops on final lap of first practice
- Lap one crash for Mir replacement Dixon
Marc Marquez leads the MotoGP riders' standings coming into Qatar and as the most recent winner - both in Qatar, last year, and this season, last weekend in Malaysia. The Malaysia win gives the Spaniard a mathematical title chance in Qatar; he needs to take 30 points off Jorge Martin this weekend and eight off Marco Bezzecchi. The weekend started well for the Ducati rider, who was fastest in FP1.
Bezzecchi has never finished on a MotoGP podium at Qatar, or a grand prix podium for that matter. His best result in all classes came in 2021, when he was fourth in both Lusail races, while his best MotoGP result there is a ninth taken last year. Despite his subpar record at the Middle East venue, Bezzecchi was good in FP1, finishing second-fastest to Marquez.
For Martin, Qatar has been a good track in the past - he was on the podium for the first time in MotoGP there in 2021, and he was strong in 2024, too, finishing third at that year's opener. But he arrives here still suffering with the broken wrist he sustained in Phillip Island. He was passed fit for Qatar this morning, but did withdraw midway through the previous round in Malaysia. In any case, the weekend started much better for Martin in Doha than it did in Sepang - a solid fifth in FP1.
Raul Fernandez is also set to ride this weekend, although he still has the broken fingers from Indonesia. Similarly, Fermin Aldeguer is in Qatar for this race, but he hasn't raced since he broke bones in his hand, also in Indonesia.
Aldeguer's team-mate, Alex Marquez, is not present this weekend after he had surgery on his right shoulder following the Malaysia race. The Spaniard is replaced by Iker Lecuona at Gresini.
Joan Mir is also absent after his illness problems resurfaced during the race in Malaysia. He is replaced by Honda WorldSBK rider Jake Dixon, who crashed on his first lap of FP1, but finished just over three seconds off the pace.
None of the Yamaha riders are in Qatar after the company elected not to send its teams to the race due to the ongoing instability in the Middle East region.
06 Nov 2026
16:09
Bezzecchi to the top on his next lap and into the 1m51s for the first time, he's 0.6s ahead of Marc Marquez.
16:08
Bezzecchi caught up behind Dixon a few laps after the Bastianini incident. Dixon had the ride height device stuck down through turn nine, which slowed him up.
16:07
Some lap there from Martin, was on course for the top time before he ran wide and lost the rear at the final corner. Goes second anyway, behind Di Giannantonio by 0.186s.
16:05
Moment for Bastianini who runs wide at turn 11 and then again at 12, held Bezzecchi up a bit to his annoyance. Not that the lap times now are going to be especially important in 54 minutes' time.
16:00
Practice start
Pit lane is open in Lusail and Practice is underway for the Qatar Grand Prix.
15:52
Conditions
MotoGP Practice just under 10 minutes away now. The sun has departed but we're still looking at 30C air and 33C track temperatures - not jumper weather!
15:47
Moto2 Practice finish
PR is over for Moto2 and both title contenders are through, Guevara in third and Gonzalez in fourth. Gonzalez set a time good enough for second at the end there but it was cancelled for touching the green paint on the outside of turn 15.
Holgado fastest, though, ahead of Salac by almost 0.2s.
15:43
Guevara was 20th, but he's back up into third, so safely inside that top-14 for Q2.
15:42
Holgado now down to a 1m55.897s, which would've put him ahead of Pedrosa in seventh back in 2012.
15:41
Final time attacks underway for Moto2 and Holgado takes the lap record away from Gonzalez with a 1m56.039s. To give an idea, that would've put Holgado ninth on the grid for the first ever 1,000cc MotoGP race in Qatar back in 2012, ahead of Stefan Bradl on his premier class debut with LCR Honda.
15:32
Gonzalez 0.4s clear of the field now in Moto2 PR as he sets a new lap record. He needs to respond to Guevara's recent form this weekend and it's starting in a good way.
15:18
Moto2 on track currently for their Practice session. Gonzalez fastest currently from Escrig and Ortola. Guevara eighth at present.
15:06
Bastianini pushing for change to test rules
Enea Bastianini is continuing to push for a change to MotoGP's test rules that he views as 'not fair' at the moment.
The Italian would like non-rookies who are changing brands to be able to ride at the Shakedown test in February.
Full story here.
Enea Bastianini, Tech3 KTM.
© Gold and Goose
15:02
Practice
Welcome back to live coverage of today's practices from the Qatar MotoGP, where the PR session is just under an hour away.
13:24
Aprilia provides Jorge Martin update after Qatar MotoGP practice return
Jorge Martin’s physical condition appears to be going in the right direction.
Aprilia provides Jorge Martin update after Qatar MotoGP practice return
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
12:43
REPORT: Marc Marquez leads Qatar MotoGP FP1 as title shot looms
Marc Marquez led FP1 at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez leads Qatar MotoGP FP1 as title shot looms
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
12:34
Qatar MotoGP: FP1 Results
2026 Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Friday Practice Results
Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, 2026 Qatar MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
12:32
Marquez tops FP1
Marc Marquez tops FP1 from Bezzecchi, who trimmed the gap to 0.110s at the end. Di Giannantonio third, then Acosta.
Martin a solid fifth all things considered, but 0.7s off the top time.
Bagnaia sixth, then Fernandez, Marini, Morbidelli, and Zarco in the top-10.
12:30
Acosta bike problem
Well this is an unwelcome flashback for Pedro Acosta, looks like his bike has stopped on his final lap. Could be running out of fuel, of course, but KTM's reliability has been a thing this year, of course.
12:29
Marquez with another late improvement, 1m52.278s extends his advantage out to 0.115s with a minute to go.
12:28
Acosta improves to third. He was not seeming too happy earlier on down in sixth, but it looks like he's figured some things out for this last run.
12:23
Riders heading out for their final runs now with seven minutes to go in this FP1. Sun beginning to set now in Qatar.
12:20
Everyone back in the pits now apart from Dixon, who was 6s off the pace a few minutes ago, but that gap is down to 3.5s now.
12:16
Martin P3
Another improvement from Martin - he's up to third and 0.6s behind Marquez. He seems to be doing one lap on, one lap off again, but his off-laps are still within 1.5s or so, so it does look much better than Sepang at the moment.