After long months of rest, the CIP-GREEN POWER team resumed hostilities this weekend for the Qatar GP on the Losail circuit.
Kaito Toba, winner on the Qatari track in 2019, immediately showed himself to be fast by setting the best time of the opening day. His teammate Maximilian Kofler moved up to tenth position. The combined classification having not changed at the end of FP3, the two CIP-GREEN POWER drivers were therefore able to advance directly to Q2, a first for Maximilian Kofler.
As usual in Qatar, the Moto3 race was very close. Kaito Toba and Maximilian Kofler, however, put up a merciless fight at the front. Kaito Toba moved into the first lap in 15th position, moved up to take the lead for several laps.
He finally finished in ninth position, less than two seconds behind the winner. Maximilian, who got off to a good start, remained in the leading group for most of the race, having worn out his tires, he lost a little ground and nevertheless managed to grab the point for 15th place. , his first in the World Championship.
The two drivers will be able to take their place on the grid again next Sunday for the Doha GP, on the same track.
Kaito Toba (9rd) : " We started pretty well on Friday, I felt comfortable. Saturday also went well. We had good pace and we needed to do a good lap. During the race I felt strong and fast. I maintained my position and was able to overtake easily. But in the end, I missed the podium. It's very disappointing for me because I knew I could achieve it. I finished ninth, I'm not satisfied, but it's okay. We're off to a good start, I would say. Either way, I have confidence for next week. I will try to continue working like now and push each turn, each session to get on the podium. »
Maximilian Kofler (15th) : " My weekend was pretty good. We got off to a very good start in FP1 and FP2. I was able to advance to Q2 for the first time, a big step forward for me. In the race, I tried to stay in the leading group at the start before wearing my tire a little too much. I lost a few places. But I finally scored a point, my very first in the World Championship. I'm quite pleased with it and hope to continue this next week. »
Alain Bronec (Team Owner) : " After very good official tests, we started the season well. Kaito had an excellent FP2. We were able to work on the bike. He set his time alone in qualifying. The race was fantastic despite difficult weather conditions with a strong headwind in the straight! We still need to analyze the data to find out what he missed to stay ahead from the first to the last lap. In all cases, he managed to take the lead and he was very strong in certain sectors. We have to stay focused for next week. The good surprise came from Maximilian who directly accessed Q2 and scored his first point in the race! »
