The first practice session of the 2017 MotoGP season had the asphalt as protagonist on the Losail track in Qatar. In fact, the riders found a very dirty track, swept by energetic gusts of wind - conditions that demanded caution, especially in the first part of the session.

Aleix Espargaró finished in a good position, tenth with a time of 1’55.872 (but less than 7 tenths from third place) despite the fact that a lack of grip at the front penalises the Spaniard's riding style. Tomorrow, with conditions that promise to be better, Aleix is confident that he will be able to improve his performance.

Sam Lowes, in his first official session astride the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini RS-GP, fell victim to a harmless slide just as he was becoming familiar with the Losail track. For the rest of the session, the English rookie preferred not taking any risks, without using the soft tyre which he will try tomorrow.


ALEIX ESPARGARO'

“The feeling today wasn't the best. I had a lot of trouble stopping the bike, probably because of how dirty the track still was. These are conditions similar to the first day of the last tests. With my riding style, relying a lot on the front, I struggle particularly with the lack of grip. Being in the top 10 despite the situation is a good sign, anyway. Tomorrow we will definitely be able to improve both in terms of settings and thanks to a more rubberised and cleaner track.”

SAM LOWES 

“The conditions today were very different than those in the tests. Starting with the same setting I did not have the same sensations. I think it was the same for everyone. I didn't use the soft tyre, which seems to make the difference in terms of lap times, so all things considered, the situation is not alarming. Also considering the crash, I preferred not to push too hard and to wait for the sessions tomorrow to look for more speed.”