Martin tops first practice, Acosta shines in third

Following two pre-season tests in February, the 21-round 2024 MotoGP campaign begins this weekend in Qatar.

Last year’s championship runner-up Jorge Martin topped the times by 0.047 seconds in a largely unrepresentative opening session from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

But it was Tech3 GasGas rookie Acosta who stole the show, topping the session on several occasions and ending up third on just his 11th day on the KTM MotoGP bike since last November’s Valencia test.

Run under sunnier conditions than either the sprint or grand prix will be staged, the 45-minute FP1 in Qatar was largely about brushing away the cobwebs for the 22-rider field.

Factory KTM rider Jack Miller set the early pace with a 1m55.258s, before Honda’s Joan Mir edged ahead with a 1m54.221s.

Acosta took to the top of the order for the first time with 38 minutes to go with a 1m53.992s to turn heads, before Marc Marquez on the Gresini Ducati took over with a 1m53.408s.

Top spot would continue to change hands through Martin and Ducati’s Enea Bastianini, before Martin was back in front with 20 minutes to go on a 1m53.138s.

Marquez, in his first official race weekend session on a Ducati, returned to the top of the standings with a 1m53.124s a few minutes after Martin went quicker, before Bastianini produced a 1m53.000s.

With just over 10 minutes to go, Brad Binder on the KTM dipped underneath the 1m53s with a 1m52.889s, before Acosta – still on used tyres, like the majority of the field – put in a 1m52.695s.

This only kept him top for another five minutes until Martin set the session benchmark at 1m52.624s.

Aprilia’s Espargaro further demoted Acosta when he jumped up to second, while Marquez led the Ducati charge in fourth on his 2023-spec bike.

Binder was fifth from LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco, Bastianini, VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio – who won last year’s Qatar GP – Miller and reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) to round out the top 10.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Miguel Oliveira was 12th in the Trackhouse Racing team’s first official MotoGP session, while Alex Rins was the leading Yamaha in 15th.

Joan Mir led factory Honda team-mate Luca Marini in 16th, while Fabio Quartararo was 19th on the sister Yamaha.

Franco Morbidelli was 2.1s off the pace as he made his return to…