Australian MotoGP star Jack Miller suffered a calamitous start to his potentially make-or-break season with Ducati at the Qatar Grand Prix, as Italian Enea Bastianini took an emotional season-opening victory.

Queenslander Miller, whose future as a Ducati factory rider has been the subject of much speculation, had to retire with mechanical issues after just six unconvincing laps of the Losail international circuit outside Doha on Sunday evening.

Starting fourth on the grid, the Townsville rider had high hopes of challenging for a podium spot or perhaps even adding to his three previous MotoGP wins.

Instead, he quickly found himself relegated to ninth position after just a lap and looked to be struggling from then on with a seeming technical issue as he simply found himself being picked off lap after lap.

Miller had dropped down to the fringes of the top 20 when he finally called it a day with 16 laps still left to negotiate.

It was the worst possible start to the campaign for a man who is out of contract at the end of the season and has plenty of rising talent coveting his place with the Italian marque.

Debutant Remy Gardner proved the day's top Australian, finishing 15th out of 18 finishers and celebrating his first point in the premier class.

Gardner, whose father Wayne won the world title in 1987, was at one point at the rear of the 24-man field on his KTM but showed the sort of patient composure that saw him take the Moto2 title last year.

While a disgruntled Miller trooped back to the pits, he wasn't the only title contender to suffer on the opening day of what will be the longest MotoGP season yet over 21 rounds.

Pramac Ducati's Jorge Martin, who stormed to pole in qualifying on Saturday, crashed when Miller's teammate Francesco Bagnaia, arguably favourite for the 2022 title, slipped and took both bikes out mid-race.

The luckless Martin, who suffered a hand injury, told reporters afterwards that he'd feared for his life in the dramatic crash.

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There was, however, nothing but joy for Bastianini after he held off KTM's South African runner-up Brad Binder to earn his maiden victory on his Gresini Racing Ducati

Owner Nadia Padovani was left in tears as her team, founded by her late husband Fausto Gresini, won in its first outing since becoming independent.

Gresini, twice world champion in the 125cc category (now Moto3), died last year at the age of 60, two months after contracting COVID-19.

"It's difficult for me to speak. I want to dedicate this victory to Fausto because he pushed a lot from the sky," an emotional Bastianini said while pointing to the heavens.

"It's fantastic for the team. I think all the guys are crying."

Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez was fifth while reigning champion Fabio Quartararo struggled home in ninth.

AAP