Following two pre-season tests in February, the 2024 MotoGP campaign kicked off this weekend in Qatar.
Last year’s championship runner-up, Jorge Martin, led the timesheets by 0.047 seconds in the opening session, overshadowing Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.
However, it was Tech3 GasGas rookie Pedro Acosta who stole the spotlight, claiming third place in just his 11th day on the KTM MotoGP bike since November’s Valencia test.
Under sunnier conditions than the upcoming sprint and grand prix, the 45-minute FP1 session in Qatar primarily served as a warm-up for the 22-rider field.
Jack Miller of Factory KTM set the initial pace, followed by Honda’s Joan Mir. Acosta then surged to the top with an impressive time, later surpassed by Marc Marquez on the Gresini Ducati.
The session witnessed a shuffle for the top spot between Martin, Ducati’s Enea Bastianini, and Marquez, before Martin reclaimed the lead with 20 minutes remaining.
In a session where positions fluctuated, Brad Binder of the second factory team KTM and Acosta, on used tires like most competitors, showcased remarkable performances.
Aprilia’s Espargaro climbed to second place, while Marquez held fourth on his 2023-spec Ducati.
The session concluded with Martin setting the benchmark time at 1m52.624s, followed by Espargaro and Acosta, marking a promising start to the 2024 MotoGP season in Qatar.