P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Martin broke the Qatar lap record in the opening qualifying of the 2024 season after a feisty battle for pole
Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Martin set a new Qatar lap record during the opening qualifying of the 2024 season. Martin surpassed the previous record, set by Pecco Bagnaia, with a time of 1m50.789s on his very first attempt in Q2. Despite rivals coming close, a yellow flag due to a crash prevented Martin from improving his time further. Marc Marquez made his debut for Ducati, qualifying sixth, while Pedro Acosta impressed in eighth place in his first-ever qualifying session. The revised schedule, following rain on Friday, saw a 45-minute session determining 10 of the 12 Q2 spots. Fabio Di Giannantonio was Martin’s closest rival, but Aleix Espargaro and Enea Bastianini posed a strong challenge, with Binder salvaging fourth and Bagnaia ending up fifth due to a minor error.
