Bastianini fastest in Qatar MotoGP warm-up, Marquez 11th after crash

Enea Bastianini heads into the Qatar MotoGP fastest after topping the first warm-up session of 2022. 

Warm-up began with Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia on-track together, but unlike Q2, it was the eight-time world champion leading the Ducati rider around the Lusail International Circuit. 

Bagnaia was not behind Marquez for long though as the Ducati rider made a late-braking move at turn one to get passed. 

On the following lap Marquez crashed at turn 10 - his first of the weekend. 

While Marquez was busy picking up his RC213V from the gravel, second on the grid for today’s race Enea Bastianini went to the top of the leaderboard, while KTM’s Miguel Oliveira went P2. 

Despite his fall, Marquez chose to stay out as his Repsol Honda suffered no damage from the crash. 

Fastest to start the session, current world champion Fabio Quartararo was then relegated to third before Aleix Espargaro went second - making that fourth for the Yamaha rider with just under five minutes to go. 

Back-to-back crashes then took place for rookies Raul Fernandez and Fabio Di Giannantonio. 

Fernandez went down at turn four after losing the front end of his Tech 3 KTM, while the Gresini Ducati rider went down at turn one. 

At the front, Zarco made it a Ducati 1-2 after becoming the only rider to get within two tenths of Bastianini’s top time. 

Bastianini remained unmoved during the closing stages as was the case for Zarco. Third was Aprilia’s Espargaro, while Oliveira and Quartararo rounded out the top five. 

More Ducati’s managed to secure top ten results as Bagnaia pipped pole sitter Martin to sixth.

Eighth was Franco Morbidelli who will start today’s race from 12th, while pre-race favourites Alex Rins and Joan Mir were ninth and tenth - just ahead of Marquez. 

Struggles for the likes of Andrea Dovizioso continued as the three-time MotoGP runner-up could only claim 22nd.