Mark Marquez claimed he was “very happy” after finishing third during Friday practice in Qatar.
A costly crash in Austin handed over the World Championship initiative to his younger brother Alex, Marquez finished his opening day just 0.167 seconds after surprising pacesetter Franco Morbidelli.
Marquez’s Ducati Lenovo teammate and Kota winner Francesco Bagnaia split the pair, and Alex completed the All-Ducati top five.
“A very good day for Qatar,” Mark Marquez told Motogp.com. “I’m very happy, especially as I was hoping to be far away from Pecco and Alex, because they’re usually very fast here, and that’s one of the circuits I struggle with.
“But I started out in a good way. Even with used tires, I felt better than new ones. I ride alone. I try different riding styles on circuits that go against my riding style, so I need to adapt a bit.”
Mark Marquez, 2025 Qatar Motoug
Marquez explained that previous Qatar victory was only returned in 2014 – the flowing Lusail layout collided with his offensive riding style, relying on late brakes and corner entries.
“Normally, I’m a rider who attacks the brakes and attacks the corner entry. This circuit is a lot of long corners, so I can’t attack a lot with the corner entry,” he said.
Marquez’s factory Ducati’s winning streak was broken in Kota, but he’s fighting to make it a perfect four-pole position on Saturday afternoon.
“Qualifying is very important,” he said. “If I start in front of me – because I need to understand how others will improve, but at the moment the race is good.
“But it’s true that from one day to the other, the track changes a lot here, so it’s true that we need to continue.”
After a one-day and one-night session on Friday, the final practice and qualifying will be in the sun before a sprint race under floodlights on Saturday.
Alex took the lead in a thin one-point title beyond the mark to the sprint, with Bagnaia 11 more points behind.