Friday practice results from the Qatar MotoGP at Lusail, round 1 (of 21) in the 2024 world championship.
But before Martin and Espargaro's late push, Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta, who have spent the winter playing down expectations, stole much of the limelight.
Marquez likewise featured on top of the timesheets several times during his first official grand prix session as a Gresini Ducati rider, finishing in a close fourth . While pace in the daylight practice sessions may not be relevant for the night time race conditions - Martin's 1m 52.624s best is over 1.5s from the best testing lap last month - the ability to set a flying lap in the afternoon heat will be vital for Saturday's qualifying.
Franco Morbidelli was riding for the first time since Valencia last November. The new Pramac Ducati rider missed both pre-season tests as a precaution after being knocked unconscious in a January training accident.
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