Bagnaia edges Marc Márquez in Qatar practice, adding another twist to the season

       On April 12, 2025, Francesco Bagnaia impressed in practice for the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix by going faster than Marc Márquez. The result gave fresh impetus to his campaign this season.

       Bagnaia had endured a difficult start to the season at Ducati, spending the early rounds in his team-mate’s shadow. Although he had won the Americas Grand Prix two weeks earlier, beating Márquez on pace carried particular significance and could mark the beginning of a more intense rivalry between them.

       Bagnaia quickly found his rhythm on the opening day of practice in Qatar. He had missed the top ten in Thailand and then come close to doing so again in Argentina and the United States. This time, he comfortably secured a place in Q2 and finished narrowly ahead of Márquez in Friday’s Practice session.

       Márquez had been more than half a second faster than Bagnaia in the earlier Free Practice 1 session, but Bagnaia showed considerable confidence and was clearly adapting to the bike and building speed more effectively than at previous rounds. In the later Practice session, he turned the tables. Although VR46 Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli ultimately finished ahead of both Bagnaia and Márquez, the two factory Ducati riders were in excellent form. They even chose to forgo a final run on soft tyres, reflecting their confidence in their pace and the strength of the factory Ducatis at the Qatar circuit.

       Afterwards, Bagnaia said, “I think we are already very close to the best pace. At the moment, in terms of pace, Marc and I are the strongest. It was difficult to judge our pace accurately today because we were testing tyres, but this is the first time this season that I have felt so close to my best.” His victory in the United States had come after Márquez crashed. It was only in this Qatar practice session that he truly beat his team-mate on pace, an important breakthrough.

       Márquez’s record at the Qatar circuit was less impressive than at other venues, with only one MotoGP victory in Doha. At Thursday’s press conference, he had acknowledged that the season’s fourth round could be an opportunity for Bagnaia. He said, “Looking at the historical results, in theory this is the first circuit this year where Álex Márquez and Pecco [Bagnaia’s nickname] have an advantage over me.”

       Bagnaia’s pace advantage over Márquez in Qatar practice added further intensity and uncertainty to an already compelling MotoGP season. Fans would be watching to see how the pair performed in qualifying and the race, whether they could maintain their practice form, and how that might affect the wider contest.

2025 MotoGP Round 4 Qatar Grand Prix Friday Practice results

Results source Official MotoGP Friday Practice timing sheet (© DORNA, 2025).