MotoGP #QatarGP Losail Race: Dovizioso still holds his own against Marquez

Welcome to the Qatar on a Losail track which will open the 2018 MotoGP season in the most beautiful way. Or with a Frenchman in pole position! Johann zarco is the sensation of this start of the exercise and here he is ready to refresh a statistic which dates from 1954. That is the year when a certain Pierre Monneret won the first race of the major championship with a Gilera, thus finding himself at the head of the race On title. And that’s all the bad we wish for the Tech3 Yamaha rider…

But to understand the difficult mission that awaits him, here is the situation table…

MotoGP #QatarGP Losail Qatar	2017	2018
FP1	1'54.316 Maverick Vinales (See here)	1'55.366 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)
FP2	1'55.085 Scott Redding (See here)	1'54.361 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)
FP3	1'54.834 Maverick Vinales (See here)	1'54.966 Johann Zarco (See here)
FP4	Canceled due to rain (See here)	1'55.248 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)
Qualification 1	Canceled due to rain (See here)	1'54.634 Jack Miller (See here)
Qualification 2	Canceled due to rain (See here)	1'53.680 Johann Zarco (New record)
Warm Up	1'55.728 Marc Marquez (See here)	1'55.201 Marc Marquez
Course	Vinales, Dovizioso, Rossi (See here)	Dovizioso, Marquez, Rossi
All time lap record	1'53.927 Jorge Lorenzo 2008	1'53.680 Johann Zarco 2018

This is the fifteenth time that MotoGP has come to Qatar and the eleventh that the category will race under the spotlights. For twelve years, it is in Losail that hostilities have opened for the season. Even if Honda claims that the site is not its favorite, the winged emblem has triumphed there three times, as many as Ducati. But it is Yamaha who feels the best there since the tuning fork has materialized there eight times. Suzuki remembers a fourth place with Hopkins in 2007. And hopes for better with Kidneys This year.

On the drivers side, it is Lorenzo who reaped the greatest harvest in Qatar with six successes divided into three achievements in MotoGP, two in 250cc and one in 125. Dani Pedrosa will set off for his 200th race in MotoGP, Lüthi treats itself to its 250th  absolute departure and Smith its 200th.

For the rest of the set, here is this beautiful presentation…

Last year, zarco who was making his MotoGP debut, had led six laps and set the best time in the race before falling. We obviously hope for better this time. According to Márquez, to be a candidate for victory, you need a pace of 1'55. And there are at least twelve of them who have it! Before starting the pack, here is the choice of rubber for a track warmed to 23°: the first line is composed as follows: zarco Medium Soft,  Marquez Hard Soft and Petrucci Soft Soft. Who is right ?

When the lights go out, zarco imposes itself at the head with authority in front of Marquez and Pedrosa well gone like Rossi so that Petrucci is fifth ahead Crutchlow, Dovizioso et Iannone who is ahead Kidneys. zarco let go of the controls for a moment Marquez but regains his possession and begins the second round in the lead. The Frenchman's determination is displayed. Vinales is only fifteenth.

The leading group remains compact and on the third lap, Rossi swallows Pedrosa. Here he is third with his Medium/Soft combination. With the same recipe, Dovizioso is seventh and Lorenzo eleventh. The best Ducati is in the hands of Petrucci, fourth in front Pedrosa. Kidneys made the best lap while he was eighth.

Dovizioso is sixth but he is the fastest in the race. Pedrosa who keeps losing places falls into the clutches of Kidneys who wants seventh place. Meanwhile, Rossi imposes itself in front Marquez and launches an attack on zarco. Here are two Yamahas in the lead. Vinales is thirteenth.

Note that after six laps the MotoGP peloton is as compact as that of Moto3! Dovizioso launches the attack and finds himself fourth, first Ducati. But you have to watch Kidneys faster times. The Suzuki is seventh, ahead Pedrosa.

After eight rounds, zarco stands up to Rossi for operations orders. Marquez is third, ahead of the Ducati of Dovizioso who sticks it. Crutchlow is fifth ahead Petrucci. On the disappointment side, we note the trio Iannone, Lorenzo et Vinales which are tenth, eleventh and twelfth respectively. In front of the rookie Morbidely.

zarco is not the fastest of the leading men, but resists a lot. By pushing back Rossi, it allows Marquez to regain second place. The Doctor is not at the end of his troubles since Dovizioso attack and pass. Petrucci tries to take advantage of it but the door closes. What a battle!

Eleven laps from the goal, Dovizioso be loose. Given his progress, he asserts himself as the strongest. Here he is second and ready to swallow zarco. Kidneys crash ten laps from the goal at turn 2. He was sixth. A little after, Lorenzo goes for it at turn 4, without ever having demonstrated anything in this race.

Marquez takes second place Dovizioso. As for zarco, it still holds up! Between the French leader and Pedrosa seventh, half a second ago... With 10 km/h more in V-max, Dovi takes second place Marquez. Or 343 km/h compared to 333 at the Honda… The key to a final at the aspi?

Vinales went back up to eighth and he sees Petrucci two seconds ahead of him. The latter returns to Pedrosa and therefore the leading group. Vinales will he be able to join them? He is working on it, being one of the rare drivers to stay within 1'55. Espargaro Pol gives up on the KTM.

There are five rounds left and zarco cracks in the straight line, letting out Dovizoso et Marquez. Rossi also benefits from it. The Yamaha Tech3 is only fourth!

The fastest at the end of the game is Vinales who whips to take revenge for his timid start to the race. Dovizioso leads the way in front of Marquez and Rossi in ambush and zarco tries to stay in touch. But he falls into the hands of Crutchlow who settles his account. As for Vinales, he has indeed returned! The Frenchman also gives up in front Petrucci. Here he is sixth.

This is not the end of the ordeal of the tricolor who sees the missile pass Viñales. Then it's the turn of Pedrosa. zarco is eighth… And we will leave it there for the double World Champion.

Ahead, the final battle is won by Dovizioso for 27 thousandths ahead Marquez who tried to outsmart him in the last corner. Rossi is on the podium. What a race!

Iannone puts the Suzuki ninth, the best rookie is Morbidely twelfth and Syahrin scores the two points for fourteenth place. The Aprilias are 19th and 20th, behind the KTM of Smith...

MotoGP #QatarGP Losail Course: Standings

1. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP18) 42m 34.654s
2. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 42m 34.681s
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 42m 35.451s
4. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 42m 37.535s
5. Danilo Petrucci ITA Pramac Ducati (GP18) 42m 38.475s
6. Maverick Vinales ESP Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 42m 38.542s
7. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 42m 39.275s
8. John Zarco ENG Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1) 42m 41.766s
9. Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 42m 47.611s
10. Jack Miller AUS Pramac Ducati (GP17) 42m 49.248s
11. Tito Rabat ESP Reale Avintia (GP17) 42m 49.835s
12. Franco Morbidelli ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 42m 50.928s
13. Álvaro Bautista ESP Angel Nieto Team (GP17) 42m 54.442s
14. Hafizh Syahrin EVIL Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 42m 54.953s
15. Karel Abraham CZE Angel Nieto Team (GP16) 42m 57.941s
16. Thomas Luthi SWI EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 42m 58.843s
17. Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V)* 42m 59.208s
18. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 43m 6.358s
19. Alex Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 43m 9.366s
20. Scott Redding GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 43m 12.295s
21. Xavier Simeon ESP Reale Avintia (GP16)* 43m 21.360s 
    Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) DNF 
    Alex Rins ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) DNF 
    Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (GP18) DNF

*Rookie