Drive M7 Aspar Race Review Losail MotoGP

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If there was one thing that the 2014 season promised it was excitement and the first race of the season did not disappoint, with a race that saw Jorge Lorenzo burst into the lead only to crash out, followed by Stefan Bradl on the ninth lap. With the Spaniard and the German out of the race Valentino Rossi took control with a group of four riders behind him (Márquez, Pedrosa, Bautista and Smith). Bautista and Smith would eventually slide out of the group and as Pedrosa settled for third place there was an intense battle for the win between Márquez and Rossi that saw the 'apprentice' once again overcome the 'sorcerer'. 

DRIVE M7 Aspar riders Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama started the new season in strong fashion with top ten finishes, the American overcoming the challenge of Pol Espargaró before battling with Scott Redding in the latter stages, eventually settling for eight place. Hiroshi Aoyama took advantage of a big step forward with his set-up yesterday to take eleventh place and pick up five important points following a race-long battle with Yonny Hernández.

8th Nicky Hayden: 

“We had to change our start procedure tonight and it wasn't easy, there were riders everywhere but I managed to get into a better rhythm than the test and practice here, setting consistent 1.56s. I tried everything to stay with Espargaró, but in the end I had worn out the left hand side of the tyre and ran off. It ended up a straight battle between me and Scott, we passed each other a few times and he got me on the line. A few riders crashed but we made it to the end and picked up eighth. We set a great pace at the start of the race, now we need to work on the second half and try to improve on what we have learnt here. I want to thank the team, Honda and all the sponsors for their efforts. Now we need to look ahead to the next race.”

11th Hiroshi Aoyama: 

“It was a tough race because as the night progressed the temperatures dropped and the feeling with the tyres worsened, which is why so many riders crashed. Personally I chose the softest option tyre and it was difficult to adapt my pace according to the temperature but I got in a fight with Hernández and even though my pace was better than his I couldn't get away. If I didn't get embroiled with him I might have finished higher up but anyway I am happy because it has been a tough weekend and the team has done a great job. We found a good setting yesterday and it has paid off today with eleventh place.”

Drive M7 Aspar Press Release

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Mapfre Aspar Race Review Losail Moto2

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At around twenty past eight in the evening in Doha the green light for the Moto2 season finally illuminated the starting grid at the Losail Circuit, where Tito Rabat lined up in pole position only to be beaten to the holseshot by Takaaki Nakagami. With Kallio in close pursuit his team-mate Rabat recovered from a bad start to form a group of three that escaped from the rest and set a strong pace at the front, including a new lap record (2.00.168). Rabat and Nakagami battled for the win until the final lap, the Spaniard coming out on top to lead the championship after one round.    

The weekend did not go to plan for the MAPFRE Aspar Team, who had Jordi Torres starting from sixteenth place and Nico Terol from 21st.  The Spanish pair did their best to recover ground in the race and they were in twelfth and thirteenth respectively after one lap, already stepping up their pace from practice, but two laps later Jordi missed a gear and lost positions, coming back to take ninth. Nico was up to tenth place on lap eleven but he lost positions after running wide and was then forced to retire with a technical issue on the 16th lap.  

9th Jordi Torres:

“It was a tough race because we started from so far back but we improved in every session and we knew that our potential was good for the race. I made a fast start and I was in a good position to make up ground but I made a mistake and hit neutral in a fast corner, which cost me a lot of positions. I had to take a lot of risks to make the ground up and my tyres suffered as a result so ninth place was the best I could do. In general I am happy with the result because it has been a difficult weekend but we have worked hard to improve and achieved a good result from a long way back. It was a shame about the mistake because without it we could have been close to a podium.”

Nico Terol (DNF): 

“I made a good start tonight and I pushed hard over the first few laps, I was happy because it was the first time I had felt happy on the bike all weekend. We made a positive change for the warm-up, going back to some of the settings from last year, and I was able to make up some positions to move up to tenth until I had a big slide. A lot of riders came past but I made some positions back again, and then the engine started cutting out before stopping altogether. It was a shame to finish like that but after such a tough weekend I am happy with the feeling I had with the bike in the race. That is the big positive to take from today and I hope it can be the start of our progress.”

Mapfre Aspar Press Release

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Mapfre Aspar Race Review Losail Moto3

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The 2014 season got officially underway tonight and the pace couldn't have been hotter in the Moto3 class as Jack Miller and Alex Márquez backed up their preseason pace with some low 2'06s in the early stages of a race that they would dominate from start to finish. Alex Rins led the charge behind them and the group almost reeled them in, Rins clocking a new record (2.05.862) as they closed the gap but Miller held on to take the first win of 2014 and break a run of Spanish Moto3 success that stretches back to 2012. 

MAPFRE Aspar rider Juanfran Guevara could not have done anything better on his first appearance with the Valencian team but luck proved to be against him as, after a good start when he latched onto the front group and dipped into the 2'06 pace, he was taken out by another rider on the seventh lap. It was a bitter pill for the youngster to swallow, having qualified with a 2'07.111 but comfortably setting a 2'06.493 in the race, but he can now take the positives and head to the next round in Austin in optimistic mood.

Juanfran Guevara (DNF): 

“Even though we didn't finish the race tonight we have to look at this as a positive weekend. We have worked hard, improved our lap times and feeling over the course of the weekend and in the race we were able to get into the mid 2.06's, which we hadn't managed all weekend. I got a decent start, found myself a position in the front group and I was battling well, which was something I wasn't sure I could do. It's annoying because just when I was feeling most comfortable on the bike I was taken out by another rider and now I have to put it all behind me and look ahead to the next race in  Austin”.

Mapfre Aspar Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Race Review Losail Moto3

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Niccolò Antonelli kicked off his 2014 Moto3 World Championship campaign with a ninth place finish in the floodlit Grand Prix of Qatar, resulting the first Italian under the chequered flag. 

After a good start, who saw him up to third place at the end of the first lap, the Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 rider pushed hard to stay with the leading group in the early stages of the race, but had to back off in the following laps. Later, Niccolò fought with determination within the second group of riders, closing ninth on the finish line. Although the race didn’t go as Antonelli had hoped, the 18-year-old Italian managed to get his first points in the 18-race long Championship. 

His team-mate, debutant Enea Bastianini, delivered a determined ride aboard his KTM, closing his first Moto3 race in 17th, going very close to open his points account in the World Championship.

Niccolo Antonelli (9th) 

“I made a good start and in the early stages I was able to stay comfortably with the leading group, but unfortunately later I accused some engine problems, as has happened to us throughout all the weekend. This problem may be caused by the placement of the ballast on the bike: we will make all appropriate checks to try to overcome it. Apart from the race result, I'm happy because during the race I had a good feeling and I was able to keep a good pace, but it’s clear that in the next race we want to achieve more. If we can solve these problems, we have the right potential to succeed”. 

Enea Bastianini (16th) 

“I can’t find words to describe how I'm happy: I could not get points, but I went close to do it. I made a good start, but unfortunately considering that I was starting behind I knew that it would be difficult to stay with the leading group. During the race I enjoyed a good fought with Loi, winning the sprint to the finish line. In this first race I learned so many things, so I am convinced that the next Grand Prix will go even better”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Moto3 Press Release

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Bridgestone Review Losail MotoGP

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The track temperature for the race was the coolest recorded over the whole race weekend, with a peak recording of just 20°C which brought with it a spike in humidity levels. This resulted in many riders commenting after the race that grip levels were lower than the Warm Up session four hours earlier. Although conditions were quite cool, only two riders selected the soft compound front slick, with the rest of the grid opting for the hard compound front slick. For the rear tyre, only race-winner Marc Marquez selected the hard compound rear slick for the race, and the medium compound rear was by far the popular choice, with fifteen riders selecting this option. Seven of the eleven Open-class entrants selected the soft compound rear slick for the Qatar Grand Prix.

Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department

“That was a fantastic way to start the season; it was great to see riders from so many different teams fighting for position in the opening half of the race. Congratulations to Marc Marquez and Honda on winning the first race of the season, and well done to Valentino for pushing him all the way to the finish line. Every session this weekend was closely-contested, culminating in a thoroughly exciting race which I am sure was appreciated by MotoGP fans all around the world. I hope this trend of close racing continues for the rest of the season, starting with the Grand Prix of the Americas in three weeks’ time”

Shinji Aoki - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department

“The 10pm start for the race in Qatar means we had cool and humid conditions for the Qatar Grand Prix, and listening to the comments from riders after the race, it seems this reduced the grip levels compared to the Warm Up session. As expected we had big variation in tyre strategies for the race, with all our front and rear slick options being utilised. I am happy to see that Marc was able to be so competitive on the hard compound rear slick, we made a big development with this option late last year for improved edge grip and the race result today showed it’s a viable race option for this year.”

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)

Weather:   Dry. Ambient 20-20°C; Track 20-20°C (Bridgestone measurement)

Bridgestone Press Release

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NGM Forward Racing Race Review Losail MotoGP

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It was a very good start of the 2014 season for the NGM Forward Racing Team in Qatar GP.

Aleix Espargaro made a stunning MotoGP debut on his Forward Yamaha under the Losail floodlights, finishing the race in fourth position and was the first rider of the new open spec to cross the finish line.

It was a good race also for his team mate Colin Edwards who, despite struggling a lot with the grip for the whole race, recovered important positions, closing in 9th place.

Thanks to the good results of Espargaro and Edwards, the NGM Forward Racing team leaves Qatar in third position of the Constructor Championship and in fourth place in the Team Classification with 20 points.

Aleix Espargaro - 4th

“I’m happy with this result for myself and the team. Yesterday’s two mistakes made my race really difficult. I started from the third row and I struggled a lot with the full tank to overtake the two Ducati, that had a great advantage in terms of top speed in the long straight. I didn’t want to make any mistakes, so I didn’t push as I wanted from the beginning. I was patient and waited for the right moment to pass.  It’s a pity because we had the pace to fight with the front guys but I have to be happy because we are 4th in the championship. I thank my team and Colin that gave me some parts of his second machine to rebuild my bike that was completely destroyed after yesterday’s qualifying crashes."

Colin Edwards - 9th

“It is not the race I wanted as I struggled a lot with the grip from the beginning. The main issue remains the same: I can’t get my bike turn. We will keep on working and I’m confident that we can improve.  I’m happy for the team. We got good points and I look forward to the Texas GP, my home race."

NGM Forward Racing Press Release

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LCR Honda Race Review Losail MotoGP

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The opening round of 2014 campaign at the desert track saw the LCR Honda racer Stefan Bradl failing to finish the 22-lap night race even though he showed a brilliant performance till the 8th lap. 

The German strongly started from the 7th spot on the grid immediately taking the lead of the race but he lost the front end in turn 6 and fell, unhurt.

Stefan:Bradl 

“Actually it’s difficult for me to express my feelings right now. In somehow I did a very good job because I took a good start from the third row making a perfect first lap. Honestly I was not expecting such a strong performance considering the issues we had in the last days but for the race I felt strong and determined. 

Basically I can not say why I crashed because I made the same maneuver of the lap before but I lost the front in turn six. Luckily I am OK and the positive thing is that I have done a big step in the race. Many riders crashed on left corners so probably the humidity was too high and affected the grip level ..Anyway let’s go ahead to Austin which is another track that I like very much”.

LCR Honda Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Race Review Losail MotoGP

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The first Grand Prix of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship at Losail International Circuit in Qatar saw Alvaro Bautista fighting for the podium in a thrilling race until two laps to go, when the Spaniard suffered a crash that forced him to retire. After a good qualifying, the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider was an absolute protagonist also during the race. The crash happened when Bautista was running in third position, closely folowing Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi, who then finished the race in the first two positions.

His team-mate, Brit Scott Redding, has completed his first MotoGP race with an excellent seventh place, after a great battle with the experienced Nicky Hayden, who is also riding a Open class Honda RCV1000R.

Despite Bautista’s crash, the performance shown by both the Spaniard and by his English team-mate confirms the high competitiveness of the entire team, which is now already focused on the next Grand Prix, scheduled in two weeks at the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin.

 Alvaro Bautista (DNF)

"Luckily I’m fine, but It was a strange crash: I entered corner number 2 in the same way as the previous laps but I suddenly lost the front. I had some problems with the brakes during the race: I don’t know if this has contributed to the fall, however I am very sorry for the team. Until the cras I was having fun battling for the first positions: my start was not so good, but gradually I was able to charge through the field. At one point I found myself in second place and surely we could get on the podium. Too bad we haven’t finished the race. I apologize to the team and my fans, and I hope to bring home the result next time”.

Scott Redding (7th)

“I am very happy! I was expecting to be able to follow Hayden for a few laps, not for the entire race and even beat him! In the first laps I wanted to exploit the potential of the softer tyre and I was pretty aggressive, making some moves. At that point I followed Hayden for a lot of laps, then I felt that he let me pass, only to overtake me soon after. I knew, however, that I could be faster than him, so in the latter part of the race I tried to overtake him on the fast sector, with a big move, then I pushed as much as I could for the last two laps. We reached our goal, which was to be the best Open class Honda”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Federal Oil Gresini Race Review Losail Moto2

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The Grand Prix of Qatar finished earlier than expected for Xavier Simeon and the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2: the Belgian rider, protagonist up to that moment of a very positive weekend, has in fact been involved in a crash after another rider collided with him just off the start. Siméon was then back on track and finished the race in 25th position. A real shame for the whole team, who had worked well during all practice and expected to be able to stay with the leading group.

The bad luck has hit also the rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri, who delivered an outstanding performance aboard the Team Gresini Moto2 Suter: the 17-year-old Italian was in fact in 12thposition on the last lap when, in an attempt to overtake Ricard Cardus, the latter closed the line hitting the front wheel of Lorenzo’s bike, causing him to fall.

Xavier Simeon (25th)

"I'm very sorry, because they ruined us a great weekend. I don’t know who hit me from behind, however I was doing the first lap quietly, while it seemed that other riders were already fighting for the world title at the last lap. I think that they would take a little more calm. I'm sorry for the team because they worked very well and when I re-joined the race I managed to keep a good pace and I felt at ease with the bike. Too bad, we could have done a really nice result. Now we will try to forget this race as soon as possible and focus on the next race”.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (DNF)

“My start was not so good, but in the early laps I was able to regain positions and then I started to run at a good pace, also improving the trajectories with respect to the practice. In the end I managed to catch the group of riders in front of me and at that point I tried to gain another position; On the last lap I tried to overtake Cardus, who closed his line in the middle of the corner, hitting my front wheel and making me fall. It's a shame, but I am convinced that we can succeed soon”.

Federal Oil Gresini Press Release

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Pramac Racing Race Review Losail MotoGP

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The first exciting MotoGP weekend just ended. Iannone starts the race well gaining five positions, before crashing on the second lap.

Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing - sorry for how the race ended. He finished the first lap in fifth place after starting from eleventh position. On the second lap the Italian unfortunately crashes, without compromising the functioning of his GP16 he gets back on track immediately. Andrea recovers immediately his pace,  overtaking many opponents and riding in the same lap times of the leading group passing under the checkered flag in tenth position. The weekend ends some disappointment for the lost opportunity, but the race pace promises well for the races to come.

Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing -  starts off well the new season, immediately gaining eleventh position at the end of the first lap . as soon as the Colombian found his pace, he alternated between the twelfth and fourteenth position. Four laps from the end Yonny takes a leap forward, thanks to some of the crashes in the leading group and then finish the race in twelfth position.

Andrea Iannone ( Pramac Racing)

"I'm sorry for how it went tonight, I crashed immediately on the second lap after a good start. The front end closed on me as I was cornering, but I was not pushing. When I got back on track I gained a good rhythm, that was about the same as the riders in the front group. I think I could have done a good result here. I thank the team and Ducati for support. "

Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing)

" I'm very happy, I was able to reach my target for this race. I fought throughout the race with my opponents finishing in twelfth place. The last lap unfortunately I missed a gear and Aoyama passed me. I'm glad I made four points. Now we will continue to work to improve. I thank Giacomo Guidotti and the team for all the work they have done this weekend. "

Pramac Racing Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Race Review Losail MotoGP

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Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro suffered ill luck during an eventful opening race of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship at the Commercial Bank of Qatar Grand Prix. Both Tech3 riders did not finish the race with Britain’s Bradley Smith falling whilst challenging for a podium position on lap 19, and Spanish rookie Pol Espargarohad a mechanical issue forcing him to retire on lap 18.

The opening race began in emphatic fashion for Bradley Smith, who qualified in a personal best ever position of 3rd on the front row of the MotoGP grid. The young English rider was in 2nd place during the opening laps and was in contention of leading the Grand Prix, before settling into a steady rhythm. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider remained close to the front for the duration of the race, and as he was preparing his attack on the leading four on lap 19, Smith lucklessly lost the front of his Yamaha YZR-M1 at turn 6.

Pol Espargaro’s positive form during the preseason and free practice sessions unfortunately came to an unsuccessful conclusion at the opening race at the floodlit Qatar circuit, due to an technical problem causing him to pull into the pits and retire. The reigning Moto2 World Champion ran competitively all weekend and impressed with his rookie performances on the MotoGP bike during all sessions.  Espargaro started the MotoGP race strongly, and was placed inside the top ten comfortably. The young Spanish rider set into a good race pace and held 8th position until the gearbox issue struck on lap 18 with only four laps remaining around the 5.83 kilometre Losail International Circuit.

   

Bradley Smith - DNF:

“It’s plain to see that this wasn’t the ideal way to finish the opening race of the season as I gave everything that I possibly could have during the race. I was feeling good on the bike, however it was difficult to close the final second to the front runners but with five or six laps to go I was determined to try and catch them. Unfortunately, I then fell. I want to thank my team, especially after the big crash and the repairs that they had to do on Friday. Now I need to refocus a little bit, taking all the positives out of this weekend and then go to Austin with this new found confidence and be as competitive there”.

   

Pol Espargaro - DNF:

“I really can’t say that luck helped us today, even if we deserved it after this weekend. We didn’t start with the best of terms as I am still not completely healed from my shoulder injury. Then I crashed on Friday and my confidence fell slightly. The good news was that my injury didn’t worsen because of this, and the team did a great job helping me to raise my confidence. With regards to today, it’s unfortunate that this happened as I could have finished inside the top six on my MotoGP debut. I am still happy with my performance because the results all weekend were competitive Before my problems started, I was just eight seconds behind the leader and catching Dovizioso and Aleix, which was more than I could have hoped for. Now I will rest and prepare for the next race in Austin as I definitely want to be at my 100% there”.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Tech 3 Racing Race Review Losail Moto2

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Spanish stand-in rider Ricky Cardus produced a strong finish in 12th position on his debut outing for the Tech3 Racing Team aboard the Mistral 610 at the floodlit opening Qatar Grand Prix.

Replacing the injured Alex Mariñelarena, who returned this week to his native Spain as he continues his recovery programme, Cardus  qualified in 18th position, having only ridden the French team’s exclusively designed and built Moto2 bike at the final pre-season test in Jerez before the Commercial Bank of Qatar Grand Prix.

Cardus undertook a positive start and progressed up to 10th place during the race. He consistently challenged for a top ten position and became embroiled in a thrilling battle with for example Kallio, West or Simeon. A last lap fall by another rider caused Cardus to take evasive action to avoid the crash, and slowed his rhythm meaning he ultimately crossed the line in 12th position.

Marcel Schrotter’s debut on the Tech3 Racing Team’s Mistral 610 for the 2014 Moto2 World Championship unfortunately came to a difficult end having crashed out on lap 12 after fighting for a points scoring finish. After having worked restlessly to solve chatter issues during the practice sessions, Schrotter qualified in an impressive 13th position and was fully confident of challenging for a top ten finish.  The young German rider had a positive start before running wide and losing positions but showed grit and determination and rode at a rapid pace to regain ground and overtook several riders, whilst closing in on a point scoring position. Unfortunately he fell at the final corner of the Losail International Circuit, with 8 laps to go, whilst trying to overtake Baldassari.

Ricky Cardus – 12th -  4points:

“I’m happy to finish the race with a few points as a thank you for the Tech3 Racing Team and the faith they put in me, but on the other hand I’m also a bit disappointed because I think we still could have done better. I really had a positive start and moved up the order quite smoothly. So I found myself battling with Lowes and Kallio at the early stages, but I had to push hard to follow them and when they lowered the lap times I decided to keep my rhythm in order to feel a bit more comfortable without taking too much risk of crashing as I was determined to score points for the team. During the last lap, I was touched by a falling rider on the back of the bike, but luckily I managed to avoid a fall. Straight afterwards in the last corner Simeon run into my bike pushing me outside and both him and Folger managed to pass me. I definitely needed to be a bit more aggressive but for sure I won’t make the same mistake during the next round in Austin”.

Marcel Schrotter - DNF:

“I am truly disappointed with today’s result as we lost a good possibility to start the championship in a strong fashion. My grid position was promising and also the feeling with the bike had improved after a tricky weekend so far.  The start itself was not bad either, but in the first corner I decided to stay outside, and unfortunately could not keep my line as I got pushed wide and had to avoid a crash. I started to recover quickly until I made a mistake a few laps later running into the gravel. I was 21st when I came back to the track, but again I was able to catch up the riders in front of me. This shows how positive my feeling with the bike was and I am really confident in saying that a top ten position would have been possible, but crashed at the last corner as I lost the front whilst trying to pass Baldassari . Now I can just looking forward to the next round in Texas in a couple of weeks.”

Tech 3 Racing Press Release

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Ducati Team Race Review Losail MotoGP

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The two Ducati Team riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow, finished the Qatar GP at Losail, the opening round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship, in fifth and sixth place respectively.

After starting from the second row of the grid, thanks to a fourth place obtained in yesterday's qualifying, Dovizioso lost a couple of places in jostling for position in the early laps but thanks to a constant run and a couple of riders ahead of him crashing out, he managed to finish the race in fifth place.

Team-mate Crutchlow, making his race debut with the Ducati Team's Desmosedici GP14, had a few problems. The British rider, who started from row 3 with eighth quickest time, had a problem with his bike's transponder after a few laps which affected his race. The problem got worse in the final stages and Cal had to struggle in the last few laps, but he did manage to cross the line in sixth.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) - 5th

"We have to look at the positive aspects of this result, because in view of the championship a fifth place is always important. But another important objective for us was to reduce the gap to the winner, and we managed to cut that down by half from last year, and that's another important fact. We still have understeer problems that condition our performance in the race, but I am pleased with the progress we've made so far, even though we still have to work hard to improve our bike."

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) - 6th

"It was a bittersweet race for me. Finishing in sixth place is a good result, I needed to repay the boys with a finish because they worked hard after the warm-up, when I crashed out. In the race, from lap 5 onwards, we had an electrical problem: the transponder wasn't working, the dash switched off and the bike began to behave strangely. I was pleased to be competitive until mid-way with Aleix and Dovi but I struggled to finish the race because the problem got worse towards the end. However it was important to get this race distance under our belt for Ducati and come away from here in not too bad a shape."

Ducati Team Press Release

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Repsol Honda Race Review Losail MotoGP

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2013 World Champion, Marc Marquez, has started the defence of his title in the perfect way; with a victory in the first race of the season. His teammate, Dani Pedrosa, completed a double podium for the Repsol Honda team with his 3rd place finish.

It was a dramatic race with pole sitter Marc – the only rider to use the hard rear option tyre today – slipping back to 4th by the first turn and Dani, who started in 6th, dropping a spot to 7th. However, Marc started to settle in and made up a position before Jorge Lorenzo made an uncharacteristic mistake and crashed out, thus promoting the Repsol Honda duo a position each. Marc battled with Gresini Honda rider, Alvaro Bautista, for a few laps before passing him but then lost a position to Valentino Rossi. The two riders then began to chase down race leader, LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl.

Dani also began to make progress and when race leader Bradl crashed out on lap nine, both riders were once again promoted a position, into 2nd and 4th respectively. The following lap, Dani passed Bradley Smith to take 3rd and then went after Marc and race leader Valentino Rossi. With some fantastic close racing, Marc finally made a move on Rossi on lap fourteen and led the race for the first time. Dani was still in a battle for 3rd with Bautista, with the two of them trading positions. Then on lap twenty-one – the penultimate lap – Marc and Rossi began to push for the win, passing each other on four occasions, Marc finally came out on top to take the victory and his first win since Aragon last year. With Bautista crashing out, the battle was over for Dani who celebrated third, taking the final spot on the podium.

This first victory of the season marks Honda’s 250th in MotoGP, making them the first manufacturer to reach the milestone of 250 wins in the premier class of Grand Prix racing.

Marc Marquez - 1st 

Championship Standing: 1st - 25 points  

"I'm very happy with the result today. The 25 points are important but it’s also been an important race, because I was coming back from an injury that caused me to miss most of the pre-season. Also, this weekend there were a lot of riders up at the front, all with a great pace, and seeing how the race went, this win is a big one. The battle with Valentino was the best part of the race besides the win, I really enjoyed it!”

Dani Pedrosa - 3rd

Championship Standing: 3rd - 16 points

"Third place is a positive result. We've finished on the podium this weekend at a circuit that’s difficult for me, because it isn't well suited to my style. So it's a good way to start. We were close, but with the way the race went - with so many crashes - it was important to finish. So from here on in we will try to keep improving and try to fight for the win at the next race!”

Repsol Honda Press Release

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Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Race Review Losail MotoGP

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Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi has opened the 2014 MotoGP season by taking his second consecutive second place finish at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar this evening. 

The nine-time world champion made strong start from tenth on the grid, quickly closing down and passing several riders to take fifth by the end of the first lap. With rival Dani Pedrosa in pursuit, Rossi kept the pace up over the following laps, eventually passing Bradley Smith for fourth on the brakes going into turn one with 17 laps to go. Alvaro Bautista was the next to go as a determined Rossi moved up to third, keeping pole man Marc Marquez in his sights and engaging in the first of many fights with the young Spaniard. 

One lap later race leader Stefan Bradl crashed out, promoting the two battling riders. Rossi then took the lead with a pass on Marquez on turn 15. The two remained less than half a second apart, with Marquez regaining the lead with nine laps remaining. He was unable to shake his rival off, Rossi keeping within a couple of tenths until the final laps where he made several attempts to snatch glory. A final move on turn four on the penultimate lap was quickly taken back by Marquez, leaving Rossi to cross the line in second, just 0.259 seconds behind. 

The result gives Rossi 20 points and second place in the standings as the championship starts. 

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo had a disastrous start to his 2014 Championship tonight, crashing out of the Qatar Grand Prix on the first lap. Lorenzo made a trademark stunning start from fifth on the grid to grab the holeshot into turn one, leading the GP pack. His luck was not to last, a cold front tyre causing a low side crash just a couple of turns later and ending his race. He was luckily able to walk away without any major injuries and will be fit and ready for the next round in Texas in three weeks time.

Valentino Rossi - 2nd, +0.259, 22 Laps

"I’m very happy but a little bit upset because I lost. Marc is very strong and I enjoyed very much the whole race. It was a great race, very funny from the beginning, I started from behind and I had to risk in the first laps. I was very precise and didn't make any mistakes. At the end I played my card with Marc but he was stronger than me so he won and he deserved it. It’s the first time it looked like an old race from MotoGP from ten years ago, all together on the same pace, some mistakes, going wide and so on. Maybe Dorna had a great idea! The Yamaha is always good in Qatar and I worked very hard in the practice for the race. I’m very happy with the work of my team and the bike was great in the race too. But anyway I am so happy for this start to the year, now we have to continue like this. Usually Jorge is so fantastic and so strong in the first laps so I don't understand what the mistake was.”

Jorge Lorenzo - DNF

“I made a mistake, it was a long time ago that I last did that in a race! We are not perfect; we are only human and sometimes we make mistakes. The tyres were different to last year and the temperature of the tarmac was a little colder. I didn’t take these circumstances into account and I was too fast into the corner when the front and rear tyre were not ready yet. It's a pity to lose so many points with Marc and Valentino and Dani who are the favourites. Valentino demonstrated that the Yamaha can fight even with these tyres and the championship is very long so lets see what happens in Austin.”

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Press Release

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Marc VDS Racing Team Race Review Losail Moto2

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Tito Rabat and Mika Kallio got the Marc VDS Racing Team’s 2014 Moto2 World Championship campaign off to a flying start, with the 24-year-old Spaniard winning the opening race of the season in Qatar and his teammate joining him on the podium in third place.

Rabat made a good start from pole, but got pushed out wide in turn one and dropped back to fifth. The Marc VDS rider then battled his way back towards the front, eventually passing his teammate and then pushing past Takaaki Nakagami on lap 13 to take the lead, which he held to the chequered flag.

    

Kallio pushed hard on the final laps to try and pass Nakagami for second, but lacked the necessary grip from the right side of the rear tyre to make the challenge and was forced to settle for third at the line.

Tito Rabat // 1st

“I’m happy to have come here to Qatar and taken the first win of the season on my debut for the Marc VDS team. I got a good start, but then Taka Nakagami braked really late into turn one and I made a mistake and ran wide. It took me a good few laps to work my way back to the front, but I was pushed all the way by Taka and Mika. In the end I managed to defend the lead to take the win, but I need to think about the early laps and also how to manage better the end of the race. It was a great way to start the season and now we need to look ahead to the next race in Austin.”

Mika Kallio // 3rd

“I got a good start, making up places off the line and managed to slot into second behind Taka, who’d already pulled a gap at the front. It took me two laps to catch him, and I had the pace to pass, but I decided to sit in behind, stay as smooth as possible and save my tyres for the last few laps. The lap times were quick, but I felt comfortable, until Taka upped the pace again with about eight laps to go. Then Tito came past me and I started to struggle for grip in the right hand turns. I was making up ground in the left corners only to lose it again in the right corners. I lost contact with them on the final lap and decided to settle for third and the points. Although we could have won tonight, I’m happy to finish on the podium after such a big crash yesterday. Thanks to my crew, who put in long hours to rebuild the bike last night. Thanks also to Petronas Raceline Malaysia for the loan of a frame.”

Marc VDS Racing Team Press Release

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RW Racing Race Review Losail Moto3

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With 19th position in his first ever Grand Prix, Scott Deroue can look back at Qatar satisfied and with much to think about. So does his team mate Ana Carrasco, who finished 24th, which was not what she and RW Racing GP had hoped for.

While Jack Millar crossed the line first to pick up his first Grand Prix victory, Scott Deroue and Ana Carrasco were involved in their own fierce battles. Deroue was fighting with Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Philipp Oettl for 18th place, while Ana Carrasco was a bit further down duelling for 23rd.

Deroue ended up with Khairuddin and Oettl after an excellent start which brought him from 18th to 14th. But the first laps were too much of a rollercoaster for the 18 years old Dutchman and he had to let go.

RW Racing GP team manager Jarno Janssen: “Scott has fought like a lion, but it was a bit too much at the beginning. When you are lost for a lap or so, or make a mistake, at this level you can pack it in. This is something he has to get used to and learn from. Scott has stepped into a new world, a new level and he will need time to learn and to adapt. Now he knows... For a first Grand Prix it definitely is a good result and we are happy with it.”

Ana Carrasco has been struggling all weekend and also in the race she wasn’t full of confidence with her bike. After starting from 25th on the grid she was tangled up in a battle for 22nd, 23rd all the time with Luca Grünwald, Alessandro Tonucci and Andrea Locatelli. Grünwald and Tonucci got away and in the final lap Locatelli was able to pass Carrasco and snatch 23rd, leaving the Spanish 17 years old in 24rd.

Team manager Janssen: “Ana has fought for what she is worth, but she lacked confidence for all the weekend. The bike is the same as in testing. We’ve tried everything in terms of setup, gearing and suspension. We even tried a new engine, but it didn’t make any difference. That’s a shame. Let’s just hope Ana and the bike will have full play and be friends again in Austin.”

Scott Deroue – 19th (+36.691)

“I had a decent start and picked up a few positions immediately, but that first lap: complete madness! I thought I knew something about pushing and jostling from the Rookies Cup, but in Moto3 it is much worse. I had no idea where I was and what was going on around me. That might have cost me some of my concentration and I lost connection to the group that ended up fighting for the points. Consider it a learning point. I was with Oettl and Khairuddin and I had a good battle with them. In the last lap I came to the front of the group and I was first on the straight to the finish line. I thought I had 18th place in my pocket when Khairuddin came out of the slipstream and nicked me with a difference of 0,005. I am absolutely pleased with the results of my first Grand Prix, but at the same time I have the feeling there was more in it. I have much to think about on the flight home.” 

Ana Carrasco – 24th (+45.650)

“Obviously this is not the start of the season I’ve been hoping for. I didn’t feel comfortable with the bike from the beginning and whatever the team did, somehow I couldn’t get over it. It was a battle with the bike and myself. The team changed the engine overnight, but that didn’t bring me what I hoped for. The race wasn’t too bad, but I’m not satisfied at all with the result. This just wasn’t my weekend. Hopefully Austin will be better.”

RW Racing Press Release

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Race Result Losail MotoGP

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1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 42'40.561
2 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 0.259
3 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 3.37
4 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 11.623
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 12.159
6 Cal CRUTCHLOW Ducati Team 28.526
7 Scott REDDING GO&FUN Honda Gresini 32.593
8 Nicky HAYDEN Drive M7 Aspar 32.628
9 Colin EDWARDS NGM Forward Racing 39.547
10 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 43.36
11 Hiroshi AOYAMA Drive M7 Aspar 46.595
12 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 46.688
13 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 50.581
14 Danilo PETRUCCI IodaRacing Project +1'03.127
15 Broc PARKES Paul Bird Motorsport +1'14.386
16 Michael LAVERTY Paul Bird Motorsport +1'32.593
17 Mike DI MEGLIO Avintia Racing +1'36.085
Not Classified  
 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2 Laps
 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 4 Laps
 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 5 Laps
 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 14 Laps
 Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing 18 Laps
 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 0 Lap

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Race Result Losail Moto2 [update]

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1 Esteve RABAT Marc VDS Racing Team 40'20.963
2 Mika KALLIO Marc VDS Racing Team 1.059
3 Thomas LUTHI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 3.741
4 Maverick VIÑALES Pons HP 40 4.043
5 Simone CORSI NGM Forward Racing 5.83
6 Sam LOWES Speed Up 14.17
7 Sandro CORTESE Dynavolt Intact GP 24.943
8 Jordi TORRES Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 25.196
9 Anthony WEST QMMF Racing Team 25.322
10 Louis ROSSI SAG Team 26.687
11 Jonas FOLGER AGR Team 26.873
12 Ricard CARDUS Tech 3 26.914
13 Randy KRUMMENACHER IodaRacing Project 31.671
14 Luis SALOM Pons HP 40 40.588
15 Hafizh SYAHRIN Petronas Raceline Malaysia 40.695
16 Julian SIMON Italtrans Racing Team 41.81
17 Mattia PASINI NGM Forward Racing 44.03
18 Azlan SHAH IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 52.813
19 Roman RAMOS QMMF Racing Team 53.563
20 Thitipong WAROKORN APH PTT The Pizza SAG +1'10.995
21 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA Teluru Team JiR Webike +1'11.391
22 Robin MULHAUSER Technomag carXpert +1'11.811
23 Johann ZARCO AirAsia Caterham +1'52.348
24 Xavier SIMEON Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 +1'52.446
25 Franco MORBIDELLI Italtrans Racing Team 1 Lap
 Takaaki NAKAGAMI IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 0 Lap
Not Classified  
 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI Gresini Moto2 1 Lap
 Dominique AEGERTER Technomag carXpert 5 Laps
 Nicolas TEROL Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 5 Laps
 Marcel SCHROTTER Tech 3 9 Laps
 Axel PONS AGR Team 9 Laps
 Mashel AL NAIMI QMMF Racing Team 16 Laps
 Gino REA AGT REA Racing 18 Laps
 Alex DE ANGELIS Tasca Racing Moto2 0 Lap
 Josh HERRIN AirAsia Caterham 0 Lap

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Race Result Losail Moto3

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1 Jack MILLER Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM 38'05.810
2 Alex MARQUEZ Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda 0.233
3 Efren VAZQUEZ SaxoPrint-RTG Honda 0.28
4 Miguel OLIVEIRA Mahindra Racing Mahindra 0.295
5 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda 0.369
6 Jakub KORNFEIL Calvo Team KTM 0.586
7 Alexis MASBOU Ongetta-Rivacold Honda 2.109
8 Isaac VIÑALES Calvo Team KTM 2.161
9 Niccolò ANTONELLI Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 KTM 8.153
10 Francesco BAGNAIA SKY Racing Team VR46 KTM 8.173
11 John MCPHEE SaxoPrint-RTG Honda 8.195
12 Romano FENATI SKY Racing Team VR46 KTM 8.219
13 Danny KENT Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo Husqvarna 11.269
14 Karel HANIKA Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM 11.292
15 Brad BINDER Ambrogio Racing Mahindra 11.322
16 Enea BASTIANINI Junior Team Go&FUN Moto3 KTM 22.159
17 Livio LOI Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex KTM 22.202
18 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN Ongetta-AirAsia Honda 36.686
19 Scott DEROUE RW Racing GP Kalex KTM 36.691
20 Philipp OETTL Interwetten Paddock Moto3 Kalex KTM 36.755
21 Alessandro TONUCCI CIP Mahindra 37.858
22 Luca GRÜNWALD Kiefer Racing Kalex KTM 37.876
23 Andrea LOCATELLI San Carlo Team Italia Mahindra 45.501
24 Ana CARRASCO RW Racing GP Kalex KTM 45.65
25 Bryan SCHOUTEN CIP Mahindra +1'08.694
26 Niklas AJO Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo Husqvarna 1 Lap
Not Classified  
 Jules DANILO Ambrogio Racing Mahindra 1 Lap
 Matteo FERRARI San Carlo Team Italia Mahindra 4 Laps
 Juanfran GUEVARA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 Kalex KTM 12 Laps
 Gabriel RAMOS Kiefer Racing Kalex KTM 12 Laps
 Eric GRANADO Calvo Team KTM 16 Laps
 Hafiq AZMI SIC-AJO KTM 0 Lap

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