MotoGP: Dovizioso takes first honours of 2018 in Qatar

Posted

by

Andrea Dovizioso took the first victory of the new MotoGP season at the Losail International Circuit – just 0.027 seconds ahead of Marc Marquez in second place.

Opening the season with a sensational final lap performance, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) beat Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to the line at the Losail International Circuit by just 0.027s, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) completing the podium.

Article continues below…
Advert

Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the monthly newspaper, Read FREE Online.

Frenchman Zarco shot off pole position to take the lead into the first corner under the floodlights of Qatar, but there was nothing to split the top ten riders in the opening laps, and it looked as if any one of them could fight for the victory throughout the 22-lap thriller. With fastest laps flying in on each lap, Zarco was still able to keep hold of the lead despite facing some tense competition.

With big battles taking place behind him, the French rider kept calm at the front whilst Rossi made his way through the field to get into podium fighting positions by the third lap, hunting down his fellow Yamaha in the lead. Marquez was never far away from the fight, sitting in the top five as soon as the lights went out. As ten laps had been completed riders were getting into a rhythm, but you could sense action was on the horizon.

Article continues below…
Advert

Silent assassin Dovizioso moved up to third position on lap 11 as he spent the start of the race working through the field, passing his countryman Rossi who slipped back to the riders fighting for fifth. A clear battled had now developed for the podium, with Dovizioso and Marquez closing in on Zarco and they were able to make their move on the 18th lap, with Zarco losing two positions into the opening corner – as Dovizisoso took the lead.

The action was not over there, with Dovizioso and Marquez pushing themselves to the final corner of the final lap – taking no prisoners. Reigning world champion Marquez made his move through turn 15 but he was unable to make it stick, and Dovizoso led into the final corner meaning he was able to slingshot his Desmosedici over the line, 0.027s ahead.

Article continues below…
Advert

In a similar display to the Austrian and Japanese GP’s of 2017, the duo fought to the very end, but it was Dovizoso who took the first honours of 2018, the Italian now heads to Argentina as MotoGP Championship leader.

Behind the duo, Rossi fought off his rivals to secure a safe third position ahead of top independent rider Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL), whilst Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) made some strong moves on the closing laps to complete the top five.

Comeback king Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) crossed the line in sixth, after being down in 14th on the opening lap. Making his 200th start in the premier-class, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) took seventh position, ahead of early race leader Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), crossing the line in eighth. Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had a lonely Qatar GP in ninth position, ahead of Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) who completed the top ten in his first race for his new team.

Article continues below…
Advert

Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) opened the season in 11th, ahead of top rookie Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) who crossed the line in the top 12, as Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) salvaged three points from a tough weekend in 13th. Making his MotoGP debut, Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took a top 14 finish, ahead of Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team) who takes home the final point from Qatar in 15th.

It was a bad start to the season for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who crashed out of the top six fight on the 13th lap at turn two, whilst Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) had a start to 2018 to forget and the Spaniard crashed out on the same lap – at turn 16. Pol Esparagaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) retired from the race on the 15th lap, with work to do before Argentina.

The Paddock will now pack up and head to Argentina from 6th – 8th April for the second round of what is set to be a phenomenal MotoGP season.

Pos. Points Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time/Gap
1 25 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 166.7 42’34.654
2 20 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 166.7 +0.027
3 16 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 166.7 +0.797
4 13 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR LCR Honda CASTROL Honda 166.6 +2.881
5 11 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 166.5 +3.821
6 10 25 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 166.5 +3.888
7 9 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 166.4 +4.621
8 8 5 Johann ZARCO FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 166.3 +7.112
9 7 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 165.9 +12.957
10 6 43 Jack MILLER AUS Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 165.8 +14.594
11 5 53 Tito RABAT SPA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 165.8 +15.181
12 4 21 Franco MORBIDELLI ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 165.7 +16.274
13 3 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Angel Nieto Team Ducati 165.5 +19.788
14 2 55 Hafizh SYAHRIN MAL Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 165.4 +20.299
15 1 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Angel Nieto Team Ducati 165.2 +23.287
16 12 Thomas LUTHI SWI EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 165.2 +24.189
17 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN LCR Honda IDEMITSU Honda 165.2 +24.554
18 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 164.7 +31.704
19 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 164.5 +34.712
20 45 Scott REDDING GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 164.3 +37.641
21 10 Xavier SIMEON BEL Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 163.7 +46.706
Not Classified
44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 165.1 7 Laps
42 Alex RINS SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 166.2 10 Laps
99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Ducati Team Ducati 166.0 10 Laps

 


Advert

Enjoy everything More Bikes by reading the MoreBikes monthly newspaper. Click here to subscribe, or Read FREE Online.

Newsletter Signup