Cycle News Staff | February 20, 2024
Day Two
Francesco Bagnaia capped a near perfect preseason by topping the two-day test in Qatar as Ducati once again posted an awesome show of strength that will have MotoGP’s four other factories more than slightly concerned.
After an exhaustive three days in Malaysia in early February, the Lusail International Circuit was the last chance for the five factories to assess new parts and combinations ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, which kicks the 2024 season off on March 9-10.
And Bagnaia topped both evenings of running, blitzing the lap record from last November on the final night by an astonishing 0.81s. His 1:50.952s was enough to top the test by 0.12s, with teammate Enea Bastianini second, making it a factory Ducati one-two.
Francesco Bagnaia played the “catch me if you can” card in Qatar. They couldn’t.
Asked to rate how prepared he feels from one to 10 when testing in Qatar, Bagnaia said, “Eight out of 10. In Malaysia we were seven, and I wasn’t expecting to go this fast without pushing this much to arrive at this level. So this is great, but I want to take care about everything, keep calm.”
Preseason testing was a dream, and Bagnaia feels completely at home with Ducati’s Desmosedici GP24. He used the two days to work on engine mapping settings, as well as further back-to-back tests with a new aerodynamic package. “We did a good step in front in terms of braking and corner speed,” he said.
The speed of Ducati’s factory men wasn’t the only thing that caught the eye here. Like Sepang a fortnight ago, all seven runners (Franco Morbidelli was once again absent as he recovers from concussion) were competitive, including last year’s runner-up Jorge Martin (seventh) and Marc Marquez, who ended up fourth despite a technical issue at the start of day two and a crash at the end. In total, there were six Bologna bikes inside the top 10 places.
It would’ve been a total Desmosedici whitewash had it not been for Aprilia. There were plenty of positives for the Noale factory, who had Aleix Espargaro third, as they continued to assess a number of aerodynamic combinations. The ’24 RS-GP is “more physical” to ride according to the Catalans due to the huge amounts of downforce generated by its new fairings.
Marc Marquez is still getting used to the GP23 but managed to still post a fourth place time.
“In terms of stability the bike has improved a lot. With used tires it is a lot easier to maintain the lap-time so this is very good.”
Teammate Maverick Viñales was a much improved sixth after his tough Malaysian test, while Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez was arguably the rider of the test, placing fifth despite riding with three fractures in his hip.
Having shown great promise in Malaysia, these two days were something of a reality check for KTM. Factory men Brad Binder and Jack Miller used the two days to assess two new engines, with both favoring one in particular. “It looks like they gave us a little bit more power, but feeling wise and riding wise, you don’t even notice,” said Binder, ninth fastest, and 0.6s off Bagnaia. “You just feel the RPM come a little bit earlier or the limiter come a little bit sooner.” After his Sepang heroics, Pedro Acosta had a more muted outing in Qatar in 15th, one second off Bagnaia’s top time.
Despite signs of promise, there were no miracle cures for the issues facing MotoGP’s two Japanese factories. Yamaha men Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins ended the test 14th and 16th respectively, while still struggling to produce a fast time in a time attack—the glaring weakness of last year’s M1.
Raul Fernandez put in a heroic performance for fifth place.
Honda’s efforts over the two days were hampered by a stomach virus afflicting both of its factory men in Qatar. Joan Mir missed almost all of day two as he sought to save his strength for a late time attack. There were positives in the form of a new aerodynamics package, which got the thumbs up from all four riders. But the timesheets show they are still some way off. LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco was the fastest of them in 19th, 1.5s off the top.
Their jobs would be easier. But Ducati has shown once again that it intends to move the goalposts further in 2024.
Qatar MotoGP Test Results Day Two
| 1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Ducati) |
1:50.952 |
| 2 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Ducati) |
+0.120s |
| 3 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Aprilia) |
+0.308s |
| 4 |
Marc Marquez |
(Ducati) |
+0.383s |
| 5 |
Raul Fernandez |
(Aprilia) |
+0.383s |
| 6 |
Maverick Vinales |
(Aprilia) |
+0.435s |
| 7 |
Jorge Martin |
(Ducati) |
+0.514s |
| 8 |
Fabio Di Giannantonio |
(Ducati) |
+0.537s |
| 9 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+0.631s |
| 10 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Ducati) |
+0.726s |
Day One
After Day 1 of action in the desert, it’s a familiar name on top: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). But the reigning MotoGP Champion was closely trailed by his key 2023 rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), just 0.220s adrift, and they had some closer company in Qatar. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro kept pace with the GP24s once again for P3, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder close on the chase in fourth.
The day started a little dusty and windy, but once the sun began to set, we saw a flurry of time attacks come in. Bagnaia led the charge, though he still has a ways to go if he wants to reach the all-time lap record 1:51:762 set by Luca Marini during the 2023 Qatar GP.
Ducati Lenovo, Prima Pramac, Pertamina Enduro VR46 & Gresini
Ducati’s momentum from Sepang seems unabated, with a focused testing regime centered on refining the new engine and evaluating different fairings and exhaust setups. Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) both left it late until they went out on the full-spec 2024 machine, and found immediate improvements in their one lap pace.
Martin was only two-tenths off Bagnaia in second.
Fabio Di Giannantonio’s (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) hugely encouraging pre-season continues as he took P5 to help back up his Sepang performance, while Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) finds himself outside the top 10 on Day 1. At Gresini Racing, Alex Marquez claimed seventh on the timesheets with Marc Marquez in P16. However, the eight-time World Champion recorded 58 laps on Monday, meaning he has now clocked over 280 laps aboard the Desmosedici without crashing.
Aprilia & Trackhouse Racing
Sporting their sleek 2024 livery, Aprilia can certainly be encouraged by their performances on Day 1. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) spent a large portion of the day in P1 before slipping to sixth, while Aleix Espargaro surged up to that P3.
Espargaro’s speed on the new Aprilia has been promising. P3 for the Spaniard on day one.
At one stage, three RS-GPs occupied the top three places on the timesheets, with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) putting in a brilliant effort to join his factory counterparts at the business end of proceedings before ending the day 12th. Teammate Miguel Oliveira, meanwhile, was further down the order as the Noale factory continue working towards 2024.
Red Bull KTM & Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
There’s plenty of encouragement on the timesheets for the RC16s once again, with Brad Binder taking fourth just thousandths off Espargaro ahead. Meanwhile, the good reading continued as Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) both in the 1:52s, while the latter spun the most laps of anyone with 73. Augusto Fernandez’ (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) pre-season frustrations continued on Day 1 though, with the 2022 Moto2™ World Champion placing P20 while also suffering a crash in addition to some technical issues earlier in the day.
Binder and the black KTM have been charging in practice ahead of round one.
From a testing perspective too, the Austrian machinery was quite busy with two new specs of engine plus a range of different aero set ups on the program.
Repsol Honda & Castrol/Idemitsu Honda LCR
Zarco’s adaptation to the new Honda has been impressive.
There are plenty of reasons to smile if you’re a Honda fan, as it seems that progress seen in Sepang has kept rolling at Lusail. Johann Zarco (Castrol LCR Honda) was the top Honda rider in P9, and he did his time attack on the new aero they brought to Qatar. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) was next Honda, a couple of tenths in further arrears, before Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) and then Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team), the latter of whom was feeling under the weather on Day 1. It seems the Japanese brand have settled on their new engine though, while all four riders used the new swingarm seen in Sepang.
Monster Energy Yamaha
Quartararo’s speed improved from the Sepang test to go 10th on day one in Qatar.
Having claimed an opening day top 10, Tuesday will be an intense day according to Fabio Quartararo as the Yamaha star looks to find a way to make the M1 smoother and improve their grip on time attacks. That is the major issue facing the Iwata factory, and the 2021 World Champion believes they still have a lot of work to do to achieve that next step. New teammate Alex Rins was a little further down the order, but the all hands on deck continues for the Iwata marque with test rider Cal Crutchlow still putting in the laps too.
2024 Qatar MotoGP Test Results—Day One
| 1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
Ducati Lenovo |
1:52.040 |
| 2 |
Jorge Martin |
Prima Pramac Ducati |
+0.220 |
| 3 |
Aleix Espargaro |
Aprilia Racing |
+0.292 |
| 4 |
Brad Binder |
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing |
+0.296 |
| 5 |
Fabio Di Giannantonio |
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati |
+0.427 |
| 6 |
Maverick Viñales |
Aprilia Racing |
+0.455 |
| 7 |
Alex Marquez |
Gresini Ducati |
+0.516 |
| 8 |
Enea Bastianini |
Ducati Lenovo +0.549 |
|
| 9 |
Johann Zarco |
Castrol Honda |
+0.592 |
| 10 |
Fabio Quartararo |
Monster Energy Yamaha |
+0.597 |
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