Marc Márquez focused on riders, not manufacturers, in Qatar

Marc Márquez finished second in Friday's practice in Qatar, behind Fabio Di Giannantonio's Ducati, and was pleased with how his weekend began. He said his main rivals include Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, both on Aprilia machinery, with Bezzecchi seen as the rider to watch.

Amid recent public exchanges with Aprilia, Márquez stressed that his competition is with the riders rather than the manufacturers. He also said a chain problem occurred late in the session but was resolved without losing time, and that he trusts his team to fix it for the rest of the weekend.

Márquez added that the pace was there and that other riders, including Pecco Bagnaia, Ai Ogura and Pedro Acosta, will be strong contenders.