12:14
Bezzecchi improves again but stays second, 0.014s behind Marquez now. Bagnaia 0.6s back in third.
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
12:11
Marquez improves, he goes to the top by 0.153s over Bezzecchi.
Martin still fourth, just over a second off still having improved himself.
12:10
1m52.532s sees Bezzecchi increase his lead over Marquez to 0.2s.
12:04
Martin heading out for his second run. Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora just told MotoGP.com that Martin is feeling better than last week, especially in the direction changes.
12:02
Dixon back out on his spare bike. Bagnaia the only other rider on track at the moment.
12:01
Aside from the obvious Dixon blunder, it's been a decent start to the session for Honda: Moreira up in fourth and Marini in fifth after 15 minutes. Both over a second off the pace, admittedly - Bezzecchi and Marquez have almost half-a-second on Bagnaia in third, who has 0.9s over Martin in fourth.
11:58
Dixon back in the Honda garage and Crutchlow speaking to him - not sure exactly the content of the exchange but it's hardly going to be congratulatory.
11:56
Bezzecchi now to the top, a tenth ahead of Marquez. Bagnaia third, then Martin, albeit 1.3s off the pace.
11:55
Binder crash
Crash for Binder at turn seven, he's the second one to go down after Dixon's first-lap fall.
11:54
Very sandy out there, full roost from the bikes on the straight.
11:53
Ducati Lenovo 1-2 at the moment, Marquez ahead of Bagnaia. Bezzecchi third, then Acosta after eight minutes or so.
11:51
Dixon down
Big moment for Dixon through turn 11. Spun the rear up which set off a big oscillation through the long left hander there. Almost got hit by Ai Ogura as he back out of the throttle.
The he's lost the front tipping into turn 15. Rough start to life as a factory Honda MotoGP rider for the Brit.
11:46
FP1 start
Pit lane is open at Lusail and we are underway for FP1 at round 20 of the 2026 season.
11:45
Three other riders are competing with substantial injuries this week: Fermin Aldeguer, Raul Fernandez, and Jorge Martin.
Martin and Fernandez both pulled out midway through the Sepang weekend just a few days ago, while Aldeguer hasn't ridden since he broke his hand in Mandalika.
11:44
Two fill-in riders this weekend: Jake Dixon replaces the still-ill Joan Mir; while Iker Lecuona replaces Alex Marquez after the 2025 runner-up took shoulder surgery earlier this week.
11:38
Pecco Bagnaia gives baffling response to cryptic Ducati MotoGP remarks
The mystery around Pecco Bagnaia’s recent comments about his Ducati deepens.
Pecco Bagnaia gives baffling response to cryptic Ducati MotoGP remarks
Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Corse, 2026 Qatar MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
11:34
MotoGP FP1 up next in just over 10 minutes at 14:45 local time.
11:33
Moto2 FP1 finish
Chequered flag is out for Moto2 FP1 and it's Holgado who starts the weekend out on top. Vietti second and Guevara third. Gonzalez ends fourth after being held up in the final sector of his last lap by Furusato; he'd been almost 0.2s better than Holgado through three sectors while having Guevara as a marker in front of him.
11:26
Teams' emergency advice
Throughout this weekend there will exist in the background - hopefully it will remain in the background - the uncertainty of the geopolitical situation that has affected the Middle East region since February.
The potential for the US-Israeli war on Iran to reignite has caused Yamaha to decide not the compete this weekend, but the other four manufacturers and their teams are present, plus all the Moto2 (including Pramac) and Moto3 teams.
The teams were reportedly given advice yesterday on what to do in case of an emergency.
The guidelines cover a number of locational circumstances and what people should do if there is an emergency and they are caught in different places, such as outside, in a circuit building, or in their hotel.
11:19
Martin's wrist "still broken"
Jorge Martin will attempt to race again this weekend, two weeks on from breaking his wrist in Australia and a week on from pulling out of the Malaysia weekend after two-and-a-half sessions.
He admitted yesterday that the bone is still broken and that the title is out of his hands now.
Full story here.
Jorge Martin, 2026 Qatar MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
11:15
Moto2 currently on track for their first practice of the weekend. Obviously conditions are unrepresentative with midday sun and fairly sandy conditions, but Alex Escrig fastest for the moment with 15 minutes to go.
The title contenders: Guevara currently third, 0.2s and two places ahead of Manuel Gonzalez in fifth.
11:10
Welcome to live coverage of the Qatar MotoGP. Today's practices are due to get underway for the premier class in just over half-an-hour at 14:45 local time.