5.380 km race track, 6 left turns, 10 right turns = Losail
Another Race Day on Losail International Circuit Qatar, the second race of the season and again a highlight.
It was the tightest race in MotoGP history so far with a top 15 finish group and a margin of 8.928 seconds between 1st and 15th.
Losail is a fast track and this is known to be Ducati heaven.
The Ducati power plays out very well, at least on the straights but all in all it is a fast race track period.
Unlike other years the field stayed close together till the last round.
We have 6 manufactures and 22 drivers in the field and not once was it that tight.
The development of the MotoGP bikes is just stunning and not only become they faster and faster, as you can see by the speed record broken last week by Johann Zarco with a top speed of 362,4 km/h, but also do all the manufactures ride closer together than ever.
This season you hear a lot about three new terms.
Starting Device, Holeshot Device and Ride Height Adjuster
Of course invented by Ducati.
They are leading in new developments and every year they come out with some new features.
Some explanation to make you understand.
It is a system that is supporting the maximum acceleration.
Starting device = Holeshot device : when used at start, one in front, one in the tail
Ride Height device: when used during driving
Below you see Jack Miller on his Ducati.
The white line shows the height level of the bike at the start.
Pushing the Starting Device he releases oil pressure from the absorber which brings the bikes tail down like 10cm .
Yellow arrow at the tail.
The absorber sits next to the foot.
Yellow arrow next to the foot
When done with the procedure the bike is long and flat, kinda like a Dragster Bike, which gives you a better performance at the start.
As seen in the last race when Ducati accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 1,9 seconds.
Ducati power at its best.
The whole system also works during the ride when the forces are acting on the bike.
In this case the driver doesn't push a button, it is the forces coming from the front...
...and from the back.
The acceleration and braking forces.
Red arrows above the rider
Since it is not allowed to be activated electronically while driving it must be activated mechanically or hydraulically.
The suspension fork goes up.
Yellow arrow
A signal is transferred to the back mechanically or hydraulically.
Blue arrow
And the tail goes down.
Yellow arrow
This supports maximum acceleration.
Here Bagnaia on his Ducati and the Ride Height Adjuster
Ducati is the only manufacturer that has it implemented for the drivers in a pro active way front and back.
Yamaha, KTM and others have a front device as seen here with Valentino Rossi.
Suzuki doesn't have it at all.
Todays starting grid
Jorge Martin (89), a rookie with Pramac Ducati, on the pole and flying off with an incredible start.
That's where the Holeshot device is paying out.
He was leading the field for almost the entire race until 5 laps to go when Fabio Quartararo (20) pushed his Yamaha to the front.
Quartararo was switching positions with Valentino Rossi (46) this year when he changed to the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Factory Team while Rossi went with the private Petronas Yamaha SRT team.
Here you see the two Pramac Ducatis on 1 and 2 followed by Quartararo on his Yamaha.
Same lap, Quartararo is catching Johann Zarco (5) in the corner.
Going onto the straight having Martin in sight.
Next corner, Yamahas perform better in the corners than Ducatis, a chance Fabio needs to take.
Still in the same lap, different corner, Fabio Quartararo is pushing his Yamaha...
...and overtakes the long leading Martin in the corner.
First change of the first position in this race.
A fantastic 18 out of 22 laps leading rookie Jorge Martin falls behind.
Yamaha driving to victory now.
After all it was the closest top 15 finish in history at the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha on the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
Not only was history written by a close race over 22 laps but also with the winning French Fabio Quartararo and 2nd Johann Zarco, who is currently leading the World Championship.
These two gave France their first double premier class podium since 1954.
Congrats you French frog eaters lol...just kidding, they rock and well deserved.
More history written by Jorge Martin who drove on the podium as 3rd. He is the first rookie with Pramac Ducati on the podium.
- Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)
- Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 1.457
- Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 1.500
- Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 2.088
- Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 2.110
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 2.642
- Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 4.868
- Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 4.979
- Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 5.365
- Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 5.382
- Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) +5.550
- Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) +5.787
- Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) +6.063
- Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) +6.453
- Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) +8.928
- Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha) +14.246
- Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU Honda) +16.241
- Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) +16.472
- Danilo Petrucci (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) +16.779
- Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) +38.775
Not Classified
Alex MARQUEZ (LCR Honda CASTROL)
Iker LECUONA (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing KTM)
Next race April 18 on Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal.
We will see how Ducati performs there as it is not a fast track like Losail.
Yamaha might be on a good way there and even the other teams as well as this year seems to be tighter than ever.
It will also be interesting to see if Marc Marquez will join in the season there as he was again missing today.
But that gives our German rider Stefan Bradl the chance to shine, because usually he is the Test driver for Honda but fills in the gap of Marquez since he is injured.
He was doing great on his Honda today, driving on place 14.
So more to come on my behalf.
See you all next time!
©bulldog-joy