Franco Morbidelli tops Qatar MotoGP Friday practice

Full 2025 Qatar MotoGP Friday Practice Results – Franco Morbidelli fastest ahead of Factory Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

The Italian rider, representing the Pertamina VR46 Ducati team, topped the timesheets with a remarkable lap time of 1.50.830, showcasing his skill and confidence under the floodlights at the Lusail International Circuit.

Franco Morbidelli’s dominance in Qatar MotoGP Friday practice was a testament to his ability to extract maximum performance from his GP24, leaving his rivals trailing in his wake.

Meanwhile Francesco Bagnaia finished second, just 0.145 seconds behind Morbidelli. The double MotoGP World champion demonstrated consistent pace throughout the session but opted not to change tires during the final moments prioritizing strategy over outright speed.

This decision allowed him to conserve tire options for the upcoming qualifying sessions and race day. Despite this tactical approach, Bagnaia’s performance was strong enough to secure a direct pass into Saturday’s second qualifying round.

Marc Marquez, another factory Ducati star, rounded out the top three with a lap time just 0.167 seconds slower than Morbidelli’s benchmark.

Marquez showcased his trademark aggression and precision on track but like Bagnaia chose not to engage in late-session time attacks. His strategic focus on race preparation underscored his confidence in securing competitive results over the weekend.

MORE MOTOGP:

MotoGP Qatar: Marc Marquez fastest in opening practice

Jorge Martin’s return confirmed, declared fit to race in Qatar

Morbidelli’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed fourth place in Qatar MotoGP Friday practice with a time 0.299 seconds off the leader. Di Giannantonio’s performance highlighted the strength of the VR46 Ducati team which emerged as a formidable contender in Qatar.

Championship leader Alex Marquez secured fifth position on his Gresini Ducati GP24, finishing 0.406 seconds behind Morbidelli. The younger Marquez’s consistent pace throughout practice sessions reaffirmed his status as one of the key challengers for podium positions in this round.

Fabio Quartararo delivered an impressive performance as the fastest non-Ducati rider in the session, finishing sixth on his Monster Yamaha YZR-M1 with a time gap of 0.463 seconds.

Quartararo’s ability to compete with the dominant Ducati riders demonstrated Yamaha’s potential to challenge for top honors despite their relative disadvantage on straight-line speed compared to Ducati machines.

Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales represented KTM well by securing seventh and eighth positions respectively. Acosta finished 0.561 seconds behind the benchmark while Viñales trailed by 0.625 seconds.

Both riders showed promising form on their KTM RC16 bikes and proved capable of competing against more established teams.

Fermin Aldeguer took ninth place on his Gresini Ducati GP24 clocking a lap time that was 0.785 seconds slower than Morbidelli’s best effort. Johann Zarco rounded out the top ten on his Honda LCR RC213V with a time gap of 0.806 seconds from the leader.

The remaining riders faced varying fortunes during Qatar MotoGP Friday practice. Alex Rins (Yamaha), Luca Marini (Honda), and Joan Mir (Honda) finished outside the top ten but still showcased competitive lap times that kept them within striking distance of their rivals.

Brad Binder (KTM), Ai Ogura (Aprilia), and Enea Bastianini (KTM-Tech3) struggled to break into the top positions but remained focused on improving their setups for qualifying.

Australian rider Jack Miller suffered a crash at Turn 7 and finished 17th on his Yamaha-Pramac bike with a time gap exceeding one second from the session’s leading lap.

Jorge Martin, making his debut weekend ride for Aprilia, ended up in 20th position as he carefully navigated through unfamiliar territory with his new team.

2025 Qatar MotoGP Friday Practice Results