Vinales Wins Season-Opening Thriller Under Lights at Losail
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QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune Meinhardt of US, QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune Deriglazova of Russia claim Grand Prix Doha Foil 2021 titles PAGE 15 MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Spanish rider Maverick Vinales celebrates after winning the MotoGP MotoGP podium finishers Maverick Vinales (C), Pramac Racing’s French rider Johann Zarco (L) and Ducati Lenovo Team’s Italian rider Francesco Barwa Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday. Bagnaia with officials at the Barwa Qatar Grand Prix prize-presentation ceremony at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday. Vinales wins season-opening thriller under lights at Losail DPA/TNN BERLIN TOP 10 1. Maverick Viñales (Monster MAVERICK Vinales got his Energy Yamaha MotoGP) The start didn’t go well 2021 MotoGP campaign up 2. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and running with a season- + 1.092 but after that I felt the opening victory on Sunday 3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati potential. I was saving as he charged up from fifth Lenovo Team) + 1.129 tyres to find the right at the Barwa Grand Prix of 4. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) Qatar at the Losail Interna- + 1.222 moment. I tried to be tional Circuit on Sunday. 5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster En- very smart, very calm, Pole-setter Francesco ergy Yamaha MotoGP) + 3.030 Bagnaia could not get away 6. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and chose the right from the chasing pack, which + 3.357 place to push. included Johann Zarco (Pra- 7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing mac Racing) and his Ducati Team Gresini) + 5.934 Maverick Vinales team-mate Jack Miller. 8. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda With defending world Team) + 5.990 champion Joan Mir - start- 9. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo “The end was difficult,” ing in 10th - and fellow Suzu- Team) + 7.058 While the Yamahas were Bagnaia then dropped Zarco said. “I tried to catch ki rider Alex Rins struggling 10. Enea Bastianini (Esponso- not as fast as the Ducatis on back to third with tyre trou- Vinales but I was sliding a lot. to keep pace initially, it was rama Racing) + 9.288 the straights, Vinales was ble as Zarco moved up to At the end Mir cut me back, Monster Yamaha’s Vinales able to find more speed and second while Mir launched a but thanks to my engine I was who made his move. grip on the corners and he late assault and overtook his able to finish second.” Finding himself in fifth first overtook Zarco before Suzuki team mate Alex Rins Fabio Quartararo com- with 15 laps remaining, Vina- Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Spanish rider Maverick Vinales in action during the Barwa Qatar Grand taking the race lead from to move up to fourth. pleted the top five, with Mir’s les closed the gap on Bagnaia Prix MotoGP action at the Losail International Circuit. Bagnaia with eight laps to go. Mir then eased past Bag- team-mate Rins finishing sixth. by the time the final seven “The start didn’t go well but naia in the final stages to There was misery for came around. Bagnaia’s race looked year’s champion had the and allowing Zarco to clinch after that I felt the potential. move up to third before reel- Takaaki Nakagami, who After threatening once set to go from bad to worse edge on the last lap yet, in second - Bagnaia, who had I was saving tyres to find the ing in Zarco, who was also crashed out on turn nine but being held off, Vina- when he dropped out of the a remarkable twist, he fell blitzed the Losail lap record right moment,” Vinales said. desperately clinging on as midway through the race, les spotted a gap and dived top three altogether. short on the final corner. in qualifying, battling back “I tried to be very smart, he struggled with grip on his with Danilo Petrucci’s Tech3 through to take a lead he It left Zarco and Mir tus- Mir appeared to run wide, to mark his first race for very calm, and chose the rear tyre before Mir’s error KTM debut also coming to a would not relinquish. sling for second, and last with his exit speed dropping Ducati with a podium finish. right place to push.” on the final corner. premature end. Faultless Lowes of Elf Marc VDS claims classy Moto2 win AGENCIES British rider beat was losing touch on Lowes and in full swing. Bezzecchi tucked way to remember the late, great LOSAIL Gardner sensed it. The latter in behind Fernandez’s tailpipes Fausto Gresini. Gardner by two seconds was through on his teammate down the home straight and Gardner and the chasing SAM Lowes (Elf Marc VDS as Di Giannantonio and now had 1.2 seconds to took third place away from the pack will be hoping to make up Racing Team) became the first picked up emotional bridge if he wanted to win his star rookie, with Di Giannanto- ground when the riders attack British rider to win an open- podium for Gresini Team second Moto2™ race in succes- nio making it a six-wheel scrap the Losail International Circuit ing round Grand Prix since the sion. However, Lowes set the for the podium. The Italian fol- again next weekend, who will great Barry Sheene in 1979 after slotted into P2, with Lowes get- fastest lap of the Grand Prix – lowed Bezzecchi through and come out on top in Doha in sev- producing a faultless ride at the ting past a wide Fernandez at a 1:59.529 – and was in a very the Gresini rider locked his ra- en days’ time? Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar on Turn 1 to recover to P3. Lowes commanding groove. dar onto third place Bezzecchi. Top 10: Sunday. then made light work of Bend- A few laps passed by and the Lowes – who received a 1. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS The pole-sitter kept a hard- sneyder at Turn 6, with Jake gap remained at just under one track limits warning – had a Racing) charging Remy Gardner (Red Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Rac- Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s British rider Sam Lowes (left) and Federal and a half seconds between the comfortable 2.2 second lead 2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Bull KTM Ajo) at bay as the ing) rising to P5 from P10 on the Oil Gresini Moto2’s Italian rider Fabio Di Giannantonio celebrate with leading duo. Fernandez con- over Gardner, who in turn led Ajo) + 2.260 Australian took P2 from Round grid on the opening lap. their respective first and third place trophies of Qatar Grand Prix at tinued to keep his teammate Bezzecchi and ‘Diggia’ by 2.4 3. Fabio DiGiannantonio (Fed- 1, with Fabio Di Giannantonio Lap 2 saw Fernandez also the Losail International Circuit on Sunday. honest with Bezzecchi sitting seconds. eral Oil Gresini Racing Moto2) (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) pass Bendsneyder for third 1.2 seconds behind the young The final place on the po- + 5.228 coming out on top of a last lap place as the leading eight rid- Fernandez’s teammate couple of tenths of the race Spaniard, as Di Giannantonio, dium was between the two Ital- 4. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing duel with Marco Bezzecchi ers locked horns. Lowes showed Gardner was the man on the leader, Lowes making a mis- Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing ians and Di Giannantonio sliced Team VR46) + 5.241 (SKY Racing Team VR46) to a wheel to Bezzecchi at Turn 6 move. The Australian slipped by take somewhere to allow the Team) and Dixon were riding up the inside at Turn 11, a classy 5. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull hand Gresini Racing an emo- but at Turn 1 on Lap 3, the Brit- Dixon for P4 but a small error rookie to close him in. Mean- not far behind the podium fight. move pulled off. KTM Ajo) + 6.145 tional podium. ish rider was through and lead- saw Gardner lose the time he’d while, a regrouped Gardner Gardner, on Lap 13, set the fast- Up the road, Lowes took 6. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing A lightning start from Row ing, with seventh place Gardner made up, he was back down to was now ahead of Dixon and est lap of the race – but Lowes a sensational and command- Team) + 6.786 2 saw Bezzecchi grab the hole- setting the fastest lap of the P5. Sixth place Di Giannantonio set the fastest lap of the race set his personal best too and on ing victory as Gardner took a 7. Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta shot with both Lowes and Raul race. Straight away, the pole- was then wide at the final cor- again, with Bezzecchi hav- the next lap, the race leader was well-earned P2, with Di Gian- Racing) + 8.721 Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) man was enjoying a half-second ner, the Italian slipped to P8 as ing the number 87 very close three tenths quicker than Gard- nantonio holding P3 to the line 8. Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moly slow from P1 and P2. lead, with Fernandez swarming Lowes set the fastest lap of the for company. And with 13 to ner and the gap was now up to by 0.013s to hand himself and Intact GP) + 10.911 Third place Bo Bendsney- all over the back of Bezzecchi – race. His lead was now up to go, Gardner chose Turn 4 as 1.6 seconds. Gresini an emotional rostrum. 9. Bo Bendsnyder (Pertamina der (Pertamina Mandalika SAG and making a Turn 1 move stick one second.