P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Francesco Bagnaia shattered the Lusail International Circuit MotoGP lap record to lead a factory Ducati 1-2 on the final day
During the two-day Qatar test, Ducati showcased its dominance with five bikes finishing in the top ten positions, reaffirming their strength in the field. Bagnaia, leading on the opening day, continued to exhibit control with the new GP24, featuring upgraded engine and aero package, setting a record-breaking lap time of 1:50.952s, eight-tenths-of-a-second quicker than the previous record. The factory Ducati team’s success culminated in a 1-2 finish with Bagnaia and Bastianini, both completing over 100 laps each. Aprilia also impressed with Aleix Espargaro securing third place, followed by Raul Fernandez and Maverick Vinales in fifth and sixth, respectively. Marquez showed progress on his year-old Ducati despite a crash, finishing fourth overall, while Yamaha struggled with one-lap pace despite improved race performance, evident from Quartararo’s 14th position and Rins in 16th. Honda’s updates on the RC213V were tested by Zarco and Nakagami at a distance of 1.2 seconds from the leading Ducatis, with Mir and Marini close behind, focusing on long runs for the upcoming event.
