2024 MotoGP Qatar Sprint Race Top Five Finish

The 2024 FIM Grand Prix World Championship season kicked off this weekend (March 8-10) at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.

The Gresini MotoGP Team saw riders Marc Marquez (#93) and Alex Marquez (#73) compete in the first free practice sessions (FP1 and FP2) on Friday. Marc set the fourth-fastest lap time of 1:52.801 on a dry track, while Alex clocked the eleventh-fastest lap at 1:53.25.

Last weekend, MotoGP riders faced a packed schedule, with the Practice Race (PR), Q1, Q2, and finally the Sprint Race all taking place within hours. In PR, Alex topped the timesheets with a fastest lap of 1:51.108, securing direct entry to Q2, while Marc qualified ninth with a 1:51.469 lap, also advancing to Q2.

In Q2, both riders improved their times. Marc posted a 1:50.961, securing sixth on the grid, his best lap at Lusail, while Alex started from ninth with a 1:51.266 lap.

The 11-lap Sprint Race covered approximately 59 kilometers. Throughout most of the race, Marc, riding the Ducati Desmosedici GP23 for the first time, chased the leading group, setting his personal best lap of the race, 1:52.04, in the third lap, good enough for third-fastest overall. He finished fifth, marking a successful debut with the new bike. Alex followed closely, securing seventh place and scoring three points for the new season.

After the sprint, Marc said, “Undoubtedly, I had fun. I made a mistake in the first lap, losing some advantage in the battle, but I managed to make some overtakes and be at the front on the straight. We achieved what we wanted: a top-five finish, which is also tomorrow’s goal.”

Alex reflected, “It was disappointing after Q2 because I couldn’t put together a perfect lap, despite our strong performance in practice. In the sprint, I lost contact with the leading group right from the start, and then I lost more time due to avoiding an incident in front of me in the third lap. Tomorrow, we need a good start and to manage the tires well.”