RINS TOPS MOTOGP PRACTICE
Team Suzuki shone brightest on the opening day of the MotoGP World Championship season, Alex Rins topping the timesheets after a pair of practice sessions at Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
Rins set a 1m 53.432s under lights in Practice 2, edging out six-time champion Marc Marquez who made a strong return to competition after an injury plagued 2021.
It was a Spanish trio at the top, Joan Mir also making it two Suzuki riders in the first positions.
Ducati machinery struggled on the whole, 2021 Rookie of the Year Jorge Martin the best of the bunch in fourth.
Franco Morbidelli was the fastest Yamaha rider, 0.413s off the pace.
Jack Miller was the best of the Aussies, sixth fastest ahead of qualifying.
Aleix Espargaro put down the seventh quickest time for Aprilia Racing, claiming P7 despite being held up by teammate Maverick Vinales on his final flying lap.
Reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo was in and amongst it in eighth, while Pol Espargaro and Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the top 10 even though the latter had a crash at Turn 6 in first practice.
The stopwatches had plenty of work to do to split the riders on Friday, 0.8s splitting the top 15 down to first practice pacesetter Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Aussie rookie Remy Gardner was 21st fastest on his first day of MotoGP action.
Not all riders found navigating Losail an easy task, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) was unhurt despite crashing twice in FP2, once at Turn 6 and then on the next lap at Turn 10.
Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also lost control of his new-look machine, crashing at Turn 1.
The first round of the championship will resume with qualifying.
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