Given that FP1 and 3 are run in daylight and hotter track temperatures, Friday evening’s cooler and faster FP2 was the session that mattered. And it was then that defending champion Marc Marquez stamped his authority on the premier class, shattering the previous best lap time by three tenths of a second, and claiming an even bigger margin over the next-best runner, Monster Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales.
Marquez had been third-fastest in the morning, behind his new Repsol Honda team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and surprise leader Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha).
Lorenzo, Qatar MotoGP 2019
But in the afternoon, with soft tyres and qualifying sessions at stake, Rossi was the only rider not to improve his time, saying later that “we destroyed the front tyre … we don’t know why”.
Marquez’s time of 1m 53.380 seconds was exactly three tenths quicker than Zarco’s pole time of last year, and the first nine were with a second of him.
Marquez, Qatar MotoGP 2019
But if you take a second from Vinales’s second-fastest 1m 53.854s the group goes down to 14th, backing up the close times of testing.
Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) was a close third, better than a tenth quicker than factory Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci; then came the surprise.
Miller, Qatar MotoGP 2019
Class rookie Fabio Quartararo was second-best Yamaha on the Petronas satellite bike, snitching fifth ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati). Second Petronas rider Franco Morbidelli came back from a fast crash at the first corner to place seventh, ahead of Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) and another rookie, Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki).
This edged Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda) out of the top ten, as well as LCR Honda team-mates Takaaki Nakagami and Cal Crutchlow.
Rookie Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) was 14th; Rossi 16th, behind Real Avintia Ducati rider Tito Rabat.
It is unlikely that positions will change on tomorrow afternoon’s daylight times, making for a highly competitive Q1, with big stars Lorenzo, Crutchlow and Rossi vying to get into Q2.
Rossi, Qatar MotoGP 2019
Moto2
The smaller classes faced new challenges, with the introduction of MotoGP-style Q1 and Q2, making it important to get into the top 14 to go straight into the Q2 top group.
The new Triumph-powered Moto2 bikes, as expected, smashed track records, and ended up packed close, with 15 within one second, and the last of them obliged to go through Q1 for a chance in Q2.
Kalex chassis took the top five spots, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (1m 58.635s) a couple of tenths clear of Marcel Schrotter, a rapid Remy Gardner, Sam Lowes and Alex Marquez.
Baldassarri, Qatar Moto2 2019
As at tests, best of the rest was Jorge Navarro’s Speed Up; then another Kalex ox Andrea Locatelli one place ahead of Brad Binder’s Red Bull KTM, less than half a second off the top.
The Kalexes of Xavi Vierge and top class rookie Enea Bastianini completed the top ten, from Augusto Fernandez (Kalex) and Bo Bendsneyder (NTS).
Tom Luthi (Kalex) was 13th, walking away from a huge crash at the end of the session, one place ahead of fast rookie Jorge Martin’s KTM; with Tetsuta Nagashima and Luca Marini (both Kalex) just missing the top-14 cut.
Gardner, Qatar Moto2 2019
Moto3
Moto3 opened proceedings, with experience counting for speed, and honours split between Honda and KTM … but only behind the flying Aron Canet, who was fully six tenths ahead of the pack, the rest all up close.
Canet, who has switched from Honda to Sterilgarda KTM, ran 2m 04.561s.
The morning leader Romano Fenati (Snipers Honda) was next up at 2, 05.156s; with Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Honda) a close third, from Bester KTM’s Andrea Migno.
Gabriel Rodrigo (Gresini Honda) was an impressive fifth, overcoming pain from a broken collarbone in testing.
Kornfeil (KTM), Dalla Porta, Arbolino (both Honda), Masaki and Arenas (both KTM) completed the top ten. Rookie Can Oncu (KTM) was in the top 14, at 13th.
Canet, Qatar MotoGP 2019