At 7pm local time in Losail, the first Moto3 race of the year kicked off the season. With better conditions than before, but still some sand on the asphalt, the lower cylinder category riders went off into the night for an entertaining race. The first four on starting grid moved ahead straight away, led by Alex Rins. The pack broke free of the rest after three laps and the intensity increased, with the pace established in the 2’07s –much higher than in practice and qualifying. Alex Marquez was the surprise name in the fight, adding a fifth name to what had been expected to be just four candidates for the win. However, in the end the win went to Luis Salom, heading a Spanish podium that also included Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins.
MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger opened his account with eleven points at the first race of the year, having fought amongst the leaders for the entire race. The German competed against the same rivals who had challenged him in qualifying, and was ready for more of the same on Sunday night. Folger passed many of his rivals on the brakes in a show of poise and calm, although he would lose ground on the straights of the Losail circuit. He placed fifth at the chequered flag, after setting a new circuit record on lap 6 with a 2’06.839.
Teammate Eric Granado had the disappointment of his bike stalling before the warmup lap, and he could only watch as the rest of the field began ahead of him. Once his problem had been resolved, the MAPFRE Aspar rider took off from last on the grid. However, he managed to finish the race –his first in Moto3- and picked up experience and a 26th place.
5th Jonas Folger:
"The weekend has been fabulous. Things went well in all of the practice sessions and I was always in the top positions. All these factors gave us great confidence for the race. I had an optimal setup, was confident and I started well. At first I kept myself quiet behind the lead group, seeing what was going on. As the laps passed, I realised that on the finish straight I could hardly keep a slipstream and lost a lot of ground. I honestly do not know the reason for that: We were cornering like everybody else and I was catching people on the brakes, but on the main straight I was losing out. In the end we finished in fifth place. I expected better, but I’m calm because we gave our all throughout the weekend. Also today we ran with the lead pack until the end. We will analyse what might have happened, in order to improve at the next round.”
26th Eric Granado:
"My first race in Moto3 was a little hard, but this is only the beginning and I have learned a lot this weekend. I gained experience and the team helped me discover the points upon which I need to improve. The bike stalled on the grid and I had to start from last, which was a pity. At the start I passed some riders, yet I still think a little more aggression is needed to advance up the order without so much hesitation. Now we have to think about the next race in Austin -a new circuit for everyone- where I hope to gain further experience.”
Mapfre Aspar Moto3 Press Release
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