Source: Supplied.

After Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was quickest out the box, it was a familiar scene from preseason by the end of the first track action at Losail International Circuit, with Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) on top.

Repsol Honda’s reigning champion Marc Marquez was second, 0.596s off P1, however Viñales’ stunning chart-topper of a lap was a 1m54.316s on a new tyre, only four tenths off the pole lap record set by then-rookie Jorge Lorenzo on his MotoGP debut in 2008.

Another scene familiar from preseason was Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), who was third in the session, after the ‘Baby Samurai’ was the only rider other than Viñales to feature in the top five at every test in 2017.

Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) had yet another impressive session, fastest rookie and taking fourth on the time-sheets on a final dash, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) completing the top five as the quickest Ducati on track in his GP weekend debut in red.

Another incredible performance came from Reale Avintia Racing rider Loris Baz, who shot up into the top six on his final lap. LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow recovered from an early mechanical problem to take seventh, just ahead of the second fastest rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was ninth quickest after a late improvement, but 1.483s off his new teammate Viñales and looking for a good step forward as ‘The Doctor’ managed on day two of the Qatar test. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Aleix Espargaro completed the top 10.

There were crashes in FP1 for Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) – who ended up 17th in the first session – and Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), with all riders okay.

Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) topped the first practice session for Moto2 in the Qatar GP, with the Swiss rider’s time then enough to keep him top by the end of day one on a 2m00.916s, despite a crash. Second was the fastest man at the test, Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top three in a close fight.

Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS pairing Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez completed the top five overall, with all the first five posting their fastest laps in FP1. FP2’s superstar improver was Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46), who topped the second session to go sixth overall and fastest rookie. Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) was P22.

After proving fastest in FP1, Südmetall Schedl GP Racing rider Philipp Oettl remained top on day one of Moto3 action after FP2. Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) was second, with third-placed rider Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Racing) in third, but since declared unfit. The Argentine RBA BOE Racing rider crashed in the latter minutes of FP1 and broke his collarbone.