> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # KTM’s Binder tops first practice of 2022 MotoGP season in Qatar - URL: https://www.the-race.com/motogp/ktms-binder-tops-first-practice-of-2022-motogp-season-in-qatar/ - Published: 2022-03-04T11:32:32.000Z - Updated: 2023-09-16T15:01:03.000Z - Description: KTM was quickest in the opening practice session of the 2022 MotoGP season, with Brad Binder leading the way in Qatar as Francesco Bagnaia crashed - Author: Valentin Khorounzhiy - Tags: MotoGP, #image-center-center KTM was quickest in the first practice of the 2022 MotoGP season, with Brad Binder leading the way in Qatar as Francesco Bagnaia crashed. [Mar 02 : A vulnerable champion? MotoGP 2022 season preview](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/48921288?ref=the-race.com) Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro spent the vast majority of the 45-minute session out front, and was only dethroned with eight minutes left on the clock – when Suzuki’s 2022 champion Joan Mir went a mere seven thousandths faster. Mir’s team-mate Alex Rins then ventured out on a pair of fresh softs and lowered the benchmark by another tenth, but this was followed by a flurry of late improvements from riders on harder rubber, which culminated in Binder taking over the top spot – using a fresh medium rear – mere moments before the chequered flag flew. [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/the-race-com.appspot.com/1/2022/03/952337-300x200.jpg)](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/review-motogps-new-amazon-doc-one-ups-f1s-drive-to-survive/) Review: MotoGP’s new Amazon doc one-ups F1’s Drive to Survive [Read more](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/review-motogps-new-amazon-doc-one-ups-f1s-drive-to-survive/) Binder’s laptime was a 1m54.8541, still around a couple of seconds off the Losail track record, with the daytime FP1 (and Saturday’s FP3) offering largely unrepresentative conditions compared to the qualifying and race under the floodlights. Behind Binder, LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami led the Honda contingent in second, ahead of the factory Hondas of Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez – who made it three Hondas in the top five. Rins, courtesy of another late improvement of his own, would slot in between Nakagami and the works Hondas in third. Franco Morbidelli led the Yamaha contingent in sixth, followed by Mir, Aleix Espargaro, Nakagami’s team-mate Alex Marquez and Binder’s team-mate Miguel Oliveira. [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/the-race-com.appspot.com/1/2022/03/959251-300x200.jpg)](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/our-2022-motogp-season-predictions/) Our 2022 MotoGP season predictions [Read more](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/our-2022-motogp-season-predictions/) Reigning series champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) began the season with 11th place, 0.749s off the pace. Another tenth behind him was the fastest of the eight Ducatis, that of Pramac rider Jorge Martin. Of the two factory Ducatis, which made headlines [by reverting to a ‘hybrid’ engine spec for the season in an 11th-hour decision,](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/factory-ducatis-ditch-2022-motogp-engine-for-hybrid-spec/) Jack Miller was 13th and Francesco Bagnaia 18th, the latter tucking the front while approaching Turn 6 in the final moments. > A rare mistake from [@PeccoBagnaia](https://twitter.com/PeccoBagnaia?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com)! 😮 > > The front folds at Turn 6! 💥[#QatarGP](https://twitter.com/hashtag/QatarGP?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) 🇶🇦 [pic.twitter.com/TClNIZleXG](https://t.co/TClNIZleXG?ref=the-race.com) > > — MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) [March 4, 2022](https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1499706990431457286?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) The only other crash was that of rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Ducati). > The unfortunate first crasher of the 2022 season is rookie [@FabioDiggia49](https://twitter.com/FabioDiggia49?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com)! 😢 > > Thankfully, Fabio is all ok! 👍[#QatarGP](https://twitter.com/hashtag/QatarGP?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) 🇶🇦 [pic.twitter.com/thZvf6zEbd](https://t.co/thZvf6zEbd?ref=the-race.com) > > — MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) [March 4, 2022](https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1499704265924923395?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) There were four rookies in the bottom four of the timesheets, but one managed to climb higher up – this being Tech3 KTM’s Remy Gardner, still nursing a wrist injury, in 19th. ## Practice 1 Results | Pos | Name | Team | Bike | Gap Next | Gap Leader | Best Time | | --- | --------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------- | -------- | ---------- | --------- | | 1 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | | | 1m54.851s | | 2 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | +0.056s | +0.056s | 1m54.907s | | 3 | Alex Rins | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +0.071s | +0.127s | 1m54.978s | | 4 | Pol Espargaró | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.148s | +0.275s | 1m55.126s | | 5 | Marc Marquez | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.011s | +0.286s | 1m55.137s | | 6 | Franco Morbidelli | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | +0.157s | +0.443s | 1m55.294s | | 7 | Joan Mir | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +0.077s | +0.52s | 1m55.371s | | 8 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | +0.007s | +0.527s | 1m55.378s | | 9 | Alex Marquez | LCR Honda Castrol | Honda | +0.007s | +0.534s | 1m55.385s | | 10 | Miguel Oliveira | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.085s | +0.619s | 1m55.47s | | 11 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | +0.13s | +0.749s | 1m55.6s | | 12 | Jorge Martin | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.088s | +0.837s | 1m55.688s | | 13 | Jack Miller | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | +0.057s | +0.894s | 1m55.745s | | 14 | Enea Bastianini | Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | +0.023s | +0.917s | 1m55.768s | | 15 | Maverick Viñales | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | +0.047s | +0.964s | 1m55.815s | | 16 | Andrea Dovizioso | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | +0.08s | +1.044s | 1m55.895s | | 17 | Johann Zarco | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.065s | +1.109s | 1m55.96s | | 18 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | +0.152s | +1.261s | 1m56.112s | | 19 | Remy Gardner | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.15s | +1.411s | 1m56.262s | | 20 | Luca Marini | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | +0.278s | +1.689s | 1m56.54s | | 21 | Raul Fernandez | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.12s | +1.809s | 1m56.66s | | 22 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | +0.093s | +1.902s | 1m56.753s | | 23 | Darryn Binder | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | +0.594s | +2.496s | 1m57.347s | | 24 | Marco Bezzecchi | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | +0.083s | +2.579s | 1m57.43s |