Márquez tops Qatar practice, says rivalry is with riders

Marc Márquez was quickest in the morning and second in the afternoon session in Qatar on Friday, behind Fabio Di Giannantonio's Ducati. He pointed to Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi as the rider with the strongest pace and said he needed to watch Bezzecchi closely.

Márquez said he had worked on different set-up options in the afternoon but returned to the morning's direction because it felt better. He also reported a chain problem during free practice, which he said happened at the last corner and did not cost him time to reach the pit lane.

Asked about the recent public exchanges with Aprilia, Márquez said: "My battle is with the riders, not with the manufacturers."