After Friday's Qatar Shakedown - featuring test riders, r🍌ookies and riders from Concession manufacturer Aprilia - the Official test, open to all riders, began at 2pm on Saturday.

With the Sepang test cancelled,൲ today is the first time most riders have been on a MotoGP bike since the chequered flag waved at Portimao last November.

Joan Mir and Suzuki will therefore be starting their title defence꧟, while Saturday marks the debut of Pol Espargaro at Repsol Honda and Danilo Petrucci at 𓆏Tech3 KTM.

Other riders changing teams but not machines include Fabio Quartararo at Monster Yamaha, Valen♚tino Rossi at Petronas Yamaha, Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati Team♑, Johann Zarco at Pramac Ducati, Alex Marquez at LCR Honda and Miguel Oliveira at Red Bull KTM.

CLICK H👍ERE for live updates dur﷽ing the 2021 Qatar MotoGP Test

The MotoGP regulars will be joined by Factory test riders, including Sh﷽akedown pace setter Stefan Bradl (Honda) - also substituting for the injured Marc Marquez - new Yamaha signing Cal Crutchlow and 31-time MotoGP race winner Dani Pedrosa (KTM).

Crutchlow will be sharing M1s with Yamaha's Japanese test riders Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Kohta Nozane. The three bikes, wh💖ich appear to include both the 2019 (A-Spec) and 2020 (Fa🌼ctory-Spec) models, are labelled '#T1', '#T2' and '#T3'. Official timing only lists the bike, not the rider.

Testing takes place from 2pm𓃲 to 9pm each day, followed by ten minutes reserved for practice st🎀arts.

The second and final pre-season test will then be held at the same circuit on March 10-12, venue for the🌳 season-opening race on March 28, then round two on April 4.