Fabio Di Giannantonio chose the perfect moment to remind everyone that there's another Ducati capable of challenging Marc Marquez. In Qatar, the VR46 rider dominated pre-qualifying with a time of 1'50"406, a new track record, erasing the 1'50"499 set by Marquez in 2025. And while the Spaniard suffered a spectacular mechanical failure, Francesco Bagnaia recovered to fourth place, a stark contrast to his recent struggles. At Losail, Ducati is monopolizing attention, but not necessarily in the way one might expect.
Di Giannantonio takes the record, Marquez loses his chain
The Roman's performance was no fluke. With a 142 thousandths of a second lead over Marquez , he set the fastest lap of the session and improved the previous circuit benchmark by 93 thousandths of a second.
Marquez , meanwhile, experienced a mechanical issue approximately 25 minutes from the checkered flag: the chain on his Desmosedici GP broke. He nevertheless managed to return to the pits and finished second in the standings.
The incident alone is not enough to call into question his speed. But in a weekend where he can still move closer to the world title, he reminds us that a race is also won on reliability.
Bezzecchi momentarily led the proceedings before finishing third, 0.260 seconds behind. The top three were therefore separated by less than three tenths of a second.
The chain is gone ⛓️😱 #QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/TUtFA40Flw
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 6, 2026
Bagnaia fourth in Qatar: finally an answer to the stopwatch
A few hours after joking that his criticisms of Ducati were getting more attention than his results, Pecco Bagnaia has found a more classic reason to attract attention.
His time of 1'50"792 placed him fourth, 386 thousandths of a second behind Di Giannantonio , ahead of Raul Fernandez and Enea Bastianini , the best KTM rider . It's neither a victory nor proof that all his problems are solved. But for a rider preparing to leave Ducati , this presence in the leading group is a welcome response.
The real question will be his ability to reproduce this pace when the stakes increase in qualifying and Sprint.
Martin reassures us, Acosta is making things difficult for himself
Jorge Martin qualified seventh, 0.635 seconds behind, after 18 laps. Considering his broken wrist and his withdrawal from the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, his direct qualification for Q2 already represents encouraging progress. It remains to be seen how he can maintain his physical endurance over more demanding stints: a fast lap doesn't negate the difficulties he reported under braking.
Conversely, Peter Acosta Disappoints. Fourteenth, 1.169 seconds behind, he will have to go through Q1, while he is still aiming for Marco Bezzecchi for third place in the championship. Fermin Aldeguer Missed Q2 by only 38 thousandths. Johann ZarcoAi Ogura et Brad Binder They, however, secure their direct tickets.
A record in Qatar on a reduced grid
This session is finally taking place in an exceptional context: Yamaha abandoned the trip, leaving Fabio QuartararoAlex Rins, Jack Miller and the fourth representative of the brand expected off the track. Eighteen The drivers are therefore included in the standings. The competition is progressing, but the absence of an entire manufacturer continues to weigh heavily on this Grand Prix.
Di Giannantonio won Friday's battle. Marquez maintains his speed, Bagnaia is back in form, and Bezzecchi remains in contention. In this Qatar already shaken by the crisis, one certainty emerges: no one will be able to simply focus on number 93. Before we know what the future holds, here's a summary of the facts known so far. MotoGP Qatar Practice MotoGP Qatar Practice
|
MotoGP™ Qatar |
2025 |
2026 |
| FP1 | 1'52.288 Marc Marquez (See here) | 1'52.278 Marc Marquez (See here) |
| Practice | 1'50.830 Franco Morbidelli (See here) | 1'50.406 Fabio Di Giannantonio (See here) |
| FP2 | 1'51.877 Marc Marquez (See here) | (See here) |
| Q1 | 1'51.104 Ogura, 1'51.512 Rins (See herei) | (See here) |
| Q2 | 1'50.499 Marc Marquez (See herei) | (See here) |
| Sprint | M. Marquez, A. Marquez, Morbidelli (See here) | (See here) |
| Warm Up | 1'52.644 Marc Marquez (See here) | (See here) |
| Grand Prix | Marc Marquez, Vinales, Bagnaia (See here) | (See here) |
| All time lap record | 1'50.499 Marc Marquez (See herei) | 1'50.406 Fabio Di Giannantonio (See here) |
