MotoGP | Lusail, Free Practice 2: Marc Marquez emerges in the wet session

It may not have been a real session, but in the meantime Marc Marquez had the satisfaction of having everyone line up on his first day of the Grand Prix aboard the Ducati. Lusail's Friday twist came to fruition during the final minutes of the Moto3 evening session, when rain began to fall on the Qatari circuit.

Now there is no longer the rule that prevents taking to the track at night with a wet track, but the MotoGP Race Direction has chosen to speak with the riders before deciding what to do. Given the very particular conditions, it was decided to take advantage of the evening shift precisely to allow the drivers to experience first-hand what it means to ride under artificial lights on a wet track, but to postpone the shift that will decide the names of the 10 until tomorrow morning. who will have direct access to the first Q2 of the year.

Today's session was therefore shortened to 45 minutes, but the riders were asked to complete at least 8 laps in order to give an objective evaluation. And, even if the conditions never allowed them to fit slick tyres, everyone was present, because there were only two who did not reach double figures in terms of the number of laps completed.

With the forecast not currently appearing to threaten rain for the rest of the weekend (it should rain during the night, however), it is clear that the ranking of this round has an absolutely relative value, but Marquez got his first taste in the saddle to the Gresini Racing Ducati, stopping the clock at a time of 2'06″544.

In these conditions, however, the KTMs seemed particularly at ease, because the four RC16s are all in the wake of the eight-time world champion: leading the group is Augusto Fernandez, followed by rookie Pedro Acosta, third today both in the wet than in the dry, with the two factory riders, Jack Miller and Brad Binder, who instead occupy fourth and fifth place.

In sixth place we find the best of the Aprilias, which is the 2023 version of Trackhouse Racing entrusted to Raul Fernandez, with the Spaniard preceding a trio of Ducatis made up of Enea Bastianini, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez, while the Desmosedici GP24 of the champion of the reigning world champion Pecco Bagnaia is only in 12th position and almost two seconds behind.

There are also two Hondas in front of the Piedmontese, with Johann Zarco confirming himself as the best of the Japanese company's riders even in the wet with the RC213V of Team LCR, preceding Joan Mir by just 6 thousandths. Luca Marini, on the other hand, only occupies 16th position. A little further ahead, in 14th position, is Fabio Quartararo, with a Yamaha which for the moment remains at the bottom, even if the hierarchies may only be clearer tomorrow.