The first Free Practice session in Qatar roared into action under sunny skies and blistering track temperatures reaching 49°C. Riders wasted no time heading out to lay down early laps, but drama unfolded just three minutes in with a yellow flag in Sector 1—Johann Zarco’s bike suffered a mechanical issue, forcing him to sprint to a marshal’s scooter in a bid to return quickly to the garage.

Marc Márquez was the first to lay down a competitive time with a 1:55.312, but Franco Morbidelli soon dipped into the 1:54s, momentarily grabbing P1. Hot on his heels were Joan Mir and Francesco Bagnaia. Jorge Martín looked steady, maintaining a presence in the top 10.

Marc Márquez soon reasserted dominance, clocking a blistering 1:53.144, with his brother Álex Márquez not far behind. Marc’s time was nearly a full second faster than third place, a clear statement of intent.

Ten minutes into the session, Jorge Martín returned to the garage for a check-up from his team doctor. At the same time, both Márquez brothers came in briefly before heading back out. Bagnaia improved his time but could only manage third. Joan Mir showed strong pace for Honda, while Fabio Quartararo and young gun Fermín Aldeguer also impressed early on.

As the session wore on, only 11 riders remained on track with 14 minutes left, pushing hard for improvements. Quartararo managed to climb to fourth, though he was later held up by Morbidelli and was visibly frustrated.

Fabio Di Giannantonio slotted into fourth as well, but no one could touch the top three—Marc Márquez, Álex Márquez, and Pecco Bagnaia.

Zarco eventually broke into the top 10, edging out Joan Mir as the top Honda rider. The VR46 garage also saw a special guest—Valentino Rossi himself—delighting fans, though many expected him later due to his collaboration with Inter Milan, who are unveiling a new kit tomorrow.

With 25 minutes to go, the Márquez brothers were back on track. Marc set an even faster time of 1:52.742, extending his lead. Álex responded quickly, also breaking into the 1:52s, but Marc wasn’t done—he fired back with a scorching 1:52.388.

While several riders managed 1:53s, the Márquez brothers were comfortably ahead in the 1:52 range. Jorge Martín, still adapting to a new bike, stayed near the bottom, while rookie Pedro Acosta improved to fourth, but was still over a second off Marc's time.

As the clock ticked down, the track filled up again with riders pushing for late improvements. Marco Bezzecchi jumped to fourth with four minutes remaining, yet the top three remained unchanged—until a flurry of action in the final moments.

Maverick Viñales unexpectedly snatched fourth place, and Fabio Di Giannantonio pulled off a surprise to climb into second. Chaos struck when Jack Miller caused a yellow flag, ruining the last-minute laps of several riders. Marc Márquez, undeterred, improved once more to a session-best 1:52.288.

Álex Márquez, unable to respond due to the checkered flag, slipped to fourth, while Bagnaia managed to edge back into third.

It was a statement performance from Marc Márquez, smashing early expectations of a Bagnaia-dominated weekend. But this is only FP1, and there’s plenty of racing left to unfold.