Mike Jones gave his hometown fans plenty to smile about after topping the timesheets in Friday Practice for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway. Photos: BiteSizePics…
Halliday was less than a second off his lightning fast teammate during free practice on Friday…
Jones (YZF-R1) hit-out early to clock just under a second ahead of Josh Waters (BMW M RR) and Cru Halliday (YZF-R1), while defending ASBK champion Wayne Maxwell (V4R), spent the first segment of practice cutting installation laps on his new bike (after damaging the front-end at Phillip Island a few weeks ago). Round one winner and championship leader, Bryan Staring (V4R) would eventually split Jones and Halliday, Maxwell in fourth.
In the afternoon, it was Jones and Maxwell topping the order, with Jones’s 1:07.967 three-tenths quicker than Maxwell’s best, with Halliday a further tenth away in third. Most were expecting times to drop, but spots of rain in the afternoon thwarted any chance of improvement. Jones was comfortably inside the official lap-record at Queensland Raceway and pleased to make his mark on home turf so early in the weekend.
Wayne Maxwell.
Jed Metcher.
Glenn Allerton.
Ant West.
“It’s been a long time away for ASBK, but for me it’s my home circuit. I’ve cut so many laps around here and I’m really looking forward to the weekend,” said Jones. “This circuit has a simple layout, but having only a handful of corners makes it hard to go fast.”
Supersport 600 In Michelin Supersport, Jack Hyde (Yamaha YZF-R6) lead the way in Practice One, ahead of Olly Simpson (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha YZF-R6). In the afternoon sessions, but it was Simpson who stepped-up to go quickest outright by three-tenths of a second over John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6), with Hyde rounding out the top three by virtue of his earlier time.
Make sure you tune into the close racing in the support categories. The competition is fierce!
Dunlop Supersport 300 James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) dominated the Dunlop Supersport 300 class early, ahead of the ever-improving Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3), while Aksu himself was a mere three-hundredths ahead of Laura Brown (Yamaha YZF-R3) before Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) shot to the top of the order – three-tenths up on Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Aksu. Dunker would leap ahead in Practice 2 to go fastest overall with a 1:22.801 ahead of Nelson and Aksu.
Yamaha R3 Cup
Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) topped the morning session of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, ahead of Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Nate O’Neill (Yamaha YZF-R3). Dunker would top the final session of the day, but the overall order remained unchanged.
Make sure you stay up to date with all the latest from ASBK race weekends here at BikeReview…
Oceania Junior Cup
In Oceania Junior Cup, Ryan Larkin (Yamaha YZF-R15) edged Marcus Hamod (Yamaha YZF-R15) in practice one by one-tenth of a second, with a similar distance back to Hudson Thompson (Yamaha YZF-R15). Teerin Fleming would bounce back in the afternoon to jump from fourth to first in practice 2.
Australian Sidecar Championship The Horsell Australian Sidecar Championship made its return for 2022, with Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) staking an early claim ahead of Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall (Kawasaki RHR 1000), with Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000) rounding out the top three. Underwood would again top the order in practice two, with Turner this time usurping Harvey in the afternoon to complete the final three positions.
Hi everyone, it’s been a long time! My last article (here) was back in 2017 when I was 9 and on a KAYO. Since then I’ve done a lot more road racing. I’m turning 14 this year. At school I am in Year 8. Some of my hobbies are bike rides, playing handball and basketball… Words: James Weaver.
James Weaver riding at MotoStars Round 4 back in 2017 with the Kabuto RT-33 – Image by Col Roper.
But my life is mainly all about two wheels! My racing background started at Central Coast Junior Motorcycle Club doing flat track when I was 5. I was riding a CRF50. After that I went up to the KTM Pro Senior 50 class, then I went up to the 65 class then the 80 mod class when I was 8. From there I competed in the Moto Stars series on a Kayo 150 from the age 8 to 11 in which time I graduated to an R15 V2.
In 2020 I was doing my first season in OJC but before the season, while training, I highsided and broke my collarbone and couldn’t do the official test at Phillip Island. At the first round it was my first time riding at Phillip Island and it was a support class to WorldSBK! Amazing! In 2021 I was going to do OJC again but then I got iron deficiency so we had to pull out and just do club events instead, which was still awesome fun, but I was keen to get back to ASBK so worked hard to do it.
James is happy to be back in OJC and is hoping for a full, interruption free season for everyone!
The thing that I did to prepare for this year was train on my pushbike eat healthy food plus take my iron pill every morning. In my off season and school holidays I went swimming, jumping off jetty’s, I went to Flip Out with my friends I also went to Aqua Splash.
For those of you not sure, the Oceania Junior Cup (OJC), is a class for kids from 11 to 16. This class teaches kids racecraft and how to go fast, you also learn about media and what to say on camera, and lots more for the future. I am racing this year in OJC because I won the motoDNA motoCHAMPIONS sponsored by Bendix and Motorcycling Australia, so I scored a free ride this year. I can’t believe it and I feel like the luckiest person on the planet right now.
The OJC control bike is the Yamaha R15. You can see our R15 review here. The bike had a top speed of 151km/h on the Phillip Island Gardner Straight. The best thing about the R15 V3 is it is a better step to the R3 cup because the tyres are fatter than the earlier version R15 and the geometry is the same as the R3. The R15 V3 has the same suspension as an older R3 and is faster now too!
Racing is a great time to spend with Dad, we have a lot of fun together.
Preparation is on for Wakefield park this weekend.
Round one at Phillip island was really good, I was fast in practice, I got top three ,but when it was qualifying I didn’t get out with a group of people so I qualified ninth. This made me learn that to go fast in this class you have to be in a slipstream, so I will definitely need that this weekend at QR!
For any young riders that want to start in this class I would suggest getting a little bit of time on a road bike before jumping in this class don’t go from a dirt bike straight to the Oceania Junior Cup. This year I would like do my very best to make my sponsors proud and my goal is to finish top three. I’ve just arrived in Brisbane for Round Two, so wish me luck and talk soon! James #71
My sponsors are: motoDNA, motoCHAMPIONS, Bendix Brake Pads, Bendix Workshop Series Sponsors are: Ricondi, Shark, Dunlop, Ohlins, IRC Components, DID chains, Yamaha bLU Cru
The Triumph Street Triple RS wins its American debut at the World Center of Racing. The winning motorcycle was ridden by defending champion Brandon Paasch, who used his experience gained in the 2021 season with the Triumph Street Triple RS and his past success at the 200 to make the most of the 765 triple’s power around Daytona’s banking.
Brandon Paasch on his Triumph Street Triple RS defends title to win second consecutive Daytona 200.
Paasch started P4 and made it a Triumph 1-2 across the stripe first time around, and confidently keeping with the lead pack for the duration of the race. The Triumph 765 triple engine didn’t break a sweat as it endured the 57-lap, 200-mile race to keep Paasch in the sweet spot. Coming out of the final pit-stop Paasch found himself in fourth, and a couple seconds outside of the lead pack. To catch up with the front three, putting himself in position for the win, Paasch set the fastest lap of the race at 1:49:959.
On the final turn of the final lap, Paasch who was patiently waiting for his opportunity, twisted the throttle and trusted the draft and the triple Triumph engine to power him to the win by 0.007 of a second at the chequers.
Triumph racing team, supported by FreedomRoad Financing, powers Brandon Paasch to win the 80th Daytona 200.
Danny Eslick, who started P8, left the grid with a terrific start, and led the race by the end of the first lap. From there Eslick ran with the lead pack until the red flag. Mid-race, as a result of fighting the high-winds and spending a good amount of the race without the benefit of a draft, Eslick lost ground and his race-lead as he drifted into the pits on fumes. Coming out of the pit, Eslick was able to re-gain significant ground, ending the race with a 6th place finish.
Michelle Lindsay – TOBC racing owner: “After the 2018 season, I wasn’t sure we’d be back at the top of the podium again. To win the Daytona 200 on our first race with Triumph is more than I could have ever asked for. I’m proud of Brandon and Danny for their performances today, and very thankful for Triumph Motorcycles and FreedomRoad Financial for helping us even get back on the grid, Boulder Motorsports for helping to build a winning motorcycle. I’m also extremely proud to have such an amazing group of individuals working in my team. Their dedication and work ethic towards getting the 765 on the podium are unparalleled. This win is truly a team effort, and we couldn’t have brought this great crew back together if it wasn’t for the support from our key sponsors Politus & Matovina P.A. Attorneys, Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation, Jay Geeker Studios, Pirelli, and K-Tech.”
Brandon Paasch.
Brandon Paasch.
Brandon Paasch – 2021 & 2022 Daytona 200 Winner: “We did it!!! It’s unbelievably surreal to be a 2-time Daytona 200 winner, but I can’t say this race didn’t play out exactly as I imagined it. After last year’s win, I knew I had a winning strategy, and after a full season on the Street Triple RS, I had complete confidence in the bike and in the preparation of the TOBC racing team, to execute it. I’m thankful for FreedomRoad Financial for helping to make this race effort possible, and for the continued support from the Classic Car Club of Manhattan, Evolve GT, and Luxe Star, and am looking forward to celebrating with the team.”
Danny Eslick – 4-time Daytona 200 Winner: “Today was tough. A couple things didn’t go my way, which kept me off the podium. Thanks to Triumph, FreedomRoad Financial, and TOBC racing, all of the right elements were here for the win. The bike and the team have all the right pieces for success. I’ll just have to wait a year to snag my 5th win.”
Now entering its third year, the Triumph Triple Trophy awarded a custom-liveried Street Triple RS to Marco Bezzecchi in 2020 and to Raul Fernandez in 2021, both of whom have successfully used Moto2 as a springboard to now graduate to MotoGP, will go to one exceptional rider…
The 2022 Street Triple RS awarded to this year’s winner will be presented by Dorna Sports Managing Director Carlos Ezpeleta and Triumph Motorcycles Chief Product Officer Steve Sargent in Qatar.
The Triumph Triple Trophy recognises there are more success stories during a GP weekend than simply the race victory, and the updated scoring is designed to reflect the incredible close nature of the competition in Moto2. In both previous years, it wasn’t the World Champion who won the Triumph Triple Trophy, and the changes for 2022 are designed to deepen this search for all standout performances.
The Qatar Grand Prix kicked off the fourth Moto2™ season powered by Triumph’s 765cc triple as well as the 2022 Triumph Triple Trophy, with a renewed points structure introduced this season.
For 2022, the points structure has been revised as follows:
7 points – Best race progression from start to finish: 7 points for the rider or riders making up the most positions from race start to chequered flag
6 points – Pole position: 6 points for the rider who qualifies on pole
5 points – Fastest race lap: 5 points for the fastest rider/riders in case of an equal fastest lap
Best race progression rewards the rider who had a great Sunday performance and who finished the race highest relative to their starting position. At the opening round at Lusail International Circuit, it was Celestino Vietti who took the early lead courtesy of a dominant show with pole position and fastest lap.
The winner – the rider who has achieved the greatest number of points throughout the season – will be awarded a Triumph Street Triple RS motorcycle, powered by the 765cc triple engine from which the Moto2 powerplant is derived.
Triumph Street Triple RS Moto2 Trophy.
Triumph Street Triple RS Moto2 Trophy.
Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer: “The Moto2 World Championship is incredibly close, and in 2021 the category was redefined again with a total of 16 lap records falling, beating many of those already set using Triumph 765cc power. The 2022 season looks set to follow suit with some modifications to the engine helping to improve performance, as demonstrated by lap records being smashed in pre-season testing. To highlight the closeness and intensity of racing, the Triumph Triple Trophy scoring has been changed this year to reward the rider who makes the biggest improvement from their qualifying performance to their final position in the race.”
“This will help to highlight some great performances from riders who may not be at the front and will really show how competitive Moto2 is throughout the whole field. I’m really looking forward to seeing which riders bring their A-Game to the track on a Sunday and I’m sure the winner of the Triumph Triple Trophy will thoroughly deserve their one-off special Street Triple RS.”
Triumph have been a big part of Moto2 for the past few seasons, powering the field with their excellent triple cylinder…
Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director: “We’re very happy to join Triumph in celebrating the close competition in Moto2. The Triumph Triple Trophy is a great way to reward riders who have put in an impressive Sunday, and the Street Triple RS is an impressive prize. We couldn’t be happier with the way Moto2 has evolved over the past few seasons with Triumph powering the class. The collaboration has created fantastic racing in Moto2, and I don’t think riders who progress to MotoGP have ever been better prepared to make the step. We look forward to many more seasons of high calibre racing with Triumph!”
The Grand Prix of Qatar, the first round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, held this evening at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, did not end as expected for the Ducati Lenovo Team, Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia.
Unlucky end of the weekend for the Ducati Lenovo Team in Qatar with Miller and Bagnaia both forced to retire.
As he started from fourth place on the grid, from the second row, Jack Miller could not stay at the front after the start. The Australian rider dropped back into ninth place and tried to make up some ground when a technical problem forced him to retire after seven laps.
It was a difficult race also for teammate Francesco Bagnaia who dropped down into fourteenth place at the start after departing from the third row. Forced to make a comeback, towards the second half of the race, Pecco could recover up to tenth but, while trying to overtake Jorge Martín, he crashed, hitting the Spaniard and forcing both to retire.
Enea Bastianini triumphed in Qatar with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team.
Enea Bastianini triumphed in Qatar with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team. Second in qualifying yesterday and fourth after the start, the Italian rider was able to take the lead with five laps to go, creating the gap behind him necessary to secure his first MotoGP success.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Retired “Since the first lap, especially at the end of the straight coming out of the last corner, the bike wasn’t going at full power: I was very slow, and the other riders easily overtook me. I tried to give my best and switch all the available maps to solve the problem, but it was not enough. It’s a shame because I felt really good today. I was satisfied with yesterday’s result in qualifying, and I knew I had a good pace. I was hoping to bring home some important first points…. Now we will try to move forward and think to the next race”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track in two weeks, from 18th-20th March, for the Indonesian GP at the Mandalika Street Circuit in Lombok.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Retired “I can’t be happy with how the race went and, first of all, I want to apologize to both Ducati and Jorge because I made a mistake. In the race, unfortunately, I was losing a lot in the first part of the acceleration, and we were not as fast as we usually are. Also, I had some difficulties at the start. Now we’ll have to analyze the data to try to understand what happened and try to come back stronger starting from the next race.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track in two weeks, from 18th-20th March, for the Indonesian GP at the Mandalika Street Circuit in Lombok.
Day 2 of the Official FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup pre-season test at Jerez saw a trio of fresh names rise to the fore as rain affected play, with the returning Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) heading the timesheets by the end of the day.
The second day of pre-season for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup saw rain affect play and a new trio rise to the fore.
As well as track time in itself being a key focus for the field, there are also some bike updates from Energica to put through their paces, specifically a new motor and a new inverter. The bike is now lighter as a result, and with that one of the key aims of the project since the inception of the Cup, it’s a positive evolution.
Behind Canepa at the top with his 1:58.895, second fastest was Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) as the Spaniard impressed to end the day 0.189 in arrears. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™) was third quickest as the Japanese rider prepares for his second season in the Cup, but was also one of three crashers in the wet first session, along with Xavier Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and the returning Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), riders ok.
Once again, the field had three sessions, with the second and third proving the most useful running. The first was very wet, the second still affected and the final session mixed.
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) slotted into fourth, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completing the top five and from his best lap set in Session 2. The Brazilian then suffered a crash in the second session and sat out the final session of the day, as well as likely being sidelined from Day 3.
Day 1’s fastest rider, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), was half a second off Granado and ended Day 2 in P6, with Cardelus for close company. MotoGP podium finisher Smith was eighth quickest despite his crash. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) and Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE™) completed the top ten.
Alcoba impressed in second.
Okubo got the hammer down on Tuesday.
Sophomore Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) remains absent after the Spaniard had to undergo surgery due to appendicitis before the test.
Three Yamaha teams headed to MotorLand Aragon to continue their preparations for the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK were joined on track by GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team and Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha at the Spanish venue.
Five riders from three teams have embarked on a two day pre-season test at Spain’s MotorLand Aragon circuit, with reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu topping the timesheets.
Reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) continued his off-season testing ahead of his title defence by topping the timesheets in Alcañiz with a 1’49.746s. The Turkish star completed 84 laps on Thursday throughout the day, adding to his 26 laps from Wednesday for a total of 110. Razgatlioglu’s fastest lap was faster than any race lap from the 2021 Aragon Round and quicker than any previous Yamaha race lap at the venue.
Teammate Andrea Locatelli was third fastest, two tenths away from his teammate, but put in the most laps of everybody at the test as he racked up 30 on Wednesday and 85 on Thursday for a total of 115.
Yamaha test mechanical components and chase acceleration improvements at Aragon test.
Pata Yamaha worked on the mechanical side of their Yamaha YZF-R1 machine throughout the test, including electronic changes. They also focussed on the acceleration of the bike to help improve the all-round performance of the engine and spent the entire test using Pirelli’s SC0 tyre. Locatelli’s side of the garage was also working on the suspension of his machine including different links.
It was a strong test for Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) on the team’s first test of the 2022 off-season. The American posted a time of 1’49.820s, only 0.074s away from Razgatlioglu’s pace setting time and racked up 106 laps across the two days of testing: 21 on Wednesday and 85 on Thursday. As he embarks on his third year in world superbike, Gerloff hopes his strong pace in testing transfers into racing when the action gets underway at Aragon on April 8-10.
The test was originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday, the threat of bad weather meant all three teams took to the track on Wednesday for some brief running before the rain fell.
Gerloff’s teammate, Kohta Nozane, was fourth fastest as he made his first appearance in 2022 testing with a time of 1’51.238s. The Japanese rider, entering his second season in WorldSBK, completed 90 laps; 16 on Wednesday before adding 74 on Thursday. GRT Yamaha were able to test the same tank that Razgatlioglu used in the Portimao test with their main focus throughout the two days on rider position and the balance of the bike.
Christophe Ponsson rounded out the field for Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha as the Frenchman completed 84 laps across the two days, adding 74 on day two of the test to the 10 he completed on Wednesday. Now in his second season with the family-run team, Ponsson posted a best time of 1’52.341s throughout the test as he goes in search of consistent top-10 finishes.
WorldSBK times from Aragon test
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’49.746s, 110 laps 2 Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’49.820s, 106 laps
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’50.021s, 115 laps
4 Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’51.238s, 90 laps
5 Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’52.341s, 84 laps
GasGas done it again! Inspired by the success of their stunning Flat Track project bike, and keen to bring offroad fun to the asphalt, GasGas been busy in the workshop building up something just as awesome – a sweet, tire-shredding Supermoto MC 450F!
GasGas sent their trusted mechanic on a trip through their Technical Accessories warehouse to grab everything needed to create a bike that delivers serious thrills on the asphalt. And the best part is, with just a little bit of mechanical know-how, GasGas say it’s super-easy to build your very own Supermoto!
In stock trim, the MC 450F is an awesome motocross machine. But GasGas say their curiosity got the better of them and they decided to fully transform one into a fully-fledged Supermoto. They began with the essentials – a specific wheelset and tires, stronger brakes, and shortened suspension, which are all readily available from the GASGAS Technical Accessories range. The final components were then added to make this a true Supermoto, another project bike completed!
Missed the flat track build? Check it out below.
Keen to build your own GASGAS project bike? Get started today with a trip to your local GASGAS dealer and explore all possibilities with their range of Technical Accessories.
There was history on the table in the first GP of 2022, and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) stepped up to the plate. The ‘Beast’ delivered a masterclass in the Grand Prix of Qatar to claim an emotional victory, which he dedicated to the late Fausto Gresini.
Marc Marquez got the holeshot and Ducati pole man Martin had a shocker but it was soon a battle between the Repsol teammates and Binder on the KTM.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) produced a terrific ride to seal P2 and KTM’s best at the track by some margin, the South African ultimately just 0.3s away from the win. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), after leading the way for much of the race, completed the podium on the opening night, taking his second rostrum with Honda. And the headlines didn’t stop there.
Honda chases KTM.
Incredibly close racing.
A wild opener under lights.
The KTM MotoGP bikes were performing perfectly at Qatar.
As the lights went out and the curtain went up on the season, polesitter Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) got an uncharacteristically poor start, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) grabbed the holeshot from the outside of the front row and his teammate Pol Espargaro then shot past into the lead. Brad Binder made a great start to go P3 early doors, with Bastianini slotting into P4.
World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was eighth battling with Martin, and just up the road, 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was making rapid gains. Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati Lenovo Team teammate Jack Miller didn’t get away well, however, and both were outside the top ten.
Pol Espargaro led Marc Marquez, Brad Binder, Mir, Bastianini, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Martin
Four laps in, it was as you were. Pol Espargaro led Marc Marquez, Brad Binder, Mir, Bastianini, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Martin. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) picked off Quartararo on the front straight for P8. Pecco recovered to P10, the Italian sitting behind Quartararo, and the top 10 were all line astern – the riders not yet on the limit, tyre consumption on their minds.
After going in hot on Lap 2 at Turn 1, Marc Marquez was then wide again on Lap 6 to allow Brad Binder into P2. On the next lap, the eight-time World Champion lost out to Bastianini into the first corner too, with Aleix Espargaro and Mir scrapping away for P5 and P6. Miller then pulled into pitlane at the end of Lap 7 to retire from the race, a technical issue seeing his season off to a disappointing start.
Miller had a bike issue and had to retire from the race after rapidly dropping back through the pack.
Meanwhile, the race had settled down at the front and the pace was starting to pick up between the leaders. Needing to make up time, Bagnaia was trying to get up the inside of Martin at Turn 1 on Lap 12, and drama was about to unfold. The Italian tucked the front, leaving Martin with nowhere to go and the Ducati duo both crashing out of contention, thankfully both riders ok but compounding a difficult evening for the Borgo Panigale factory with Miller, Pecco, Martin, and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), the latter crashing out of points contention, out of the Qatar GP.
Back at the front, Pol Espargaro was a second clear of Brad Binder with 10 laps to go. Second place then changed though as Bastianini, flying the flag for Ducati, picked off the KTM on the run into Turn 1. The Beast then started chipping away at Pol Espargaro’s lead, and with seven laps to go it was back down to under a second. It was 0.6s at the beginning of Lap 17 of 22, and just 0.189s on Lap 18. Bastianini set the fastest lap of the race to slash Pol Espargaro’s advantage, as Aleix Espargaro got the better of Marc Marquez for P4 and homed in.
Pol Esparago showed teammate Marc Marquez that he means business this year, leading most of the race.
With four laps to go, Bastianini blasted past Pol Espargaro on the straight to take the lead, and to compound the problem for the Repsol Honda, the number 44 was then in too hot at Turn 1. That allowed Brad Binder to carve past into second as the HRC rider went from P1 to P3 in a matter of seconds, leaving Bastianini with a 1.4s lead with three to go.
Two to go and it was 1.2s for Bastianini over Binder, Pol Espargaro was 0.7s off the KTM, and Aleix Espargaro was threatening his younger brother for the final podium spot – Pol on the soft rear, Aleix on the medium.
Onto the last lap. Bastianini lost another tenth to Binder on the penultimate lap, and the gap was 1.1s. It was down to as little as 0.6s heading into the final sector too, but the Beast held on. The Italian powered his GP21 out the final corner and took an incredible, emotional victory under the lights in Qatar, the perfect tribute to the late, great Fausto Gresini and a history-making first premier class win.
Brad Binder’s second place was a warning shot for their rivals after a more muted pre-season on the timesheets for KTM, and the South African, as he so often does, pulled a rabbit out the hat on Sunday. Pol Espargaro, after leading for so long, held onto a fantastic podium too – his second with HRC.
Brad Binder’s second place was a warning shot for their rivals after a more muted pre-season on the timesheets for KTM
Aleix Espargaro was 0.8s away from the rostrum in the end but becomes the Aprilia rider to finish closest to victory – 2.2s. Marc Marquez’s return to action in Qatar for the first time since 2019 was celebrated with a solid P5, a good opening weekend for the eight-time Champion. It was, however, the first time the number 93 has finished a MotoGP™ race at Lusail and not come home as top Honda.
The two Suzukis, meanwhile, finished a low key sixth and seventh – Mir leading teammate Rins by 3.9s and both looking for more although still showing off some serious top speed gains from the Hamamatsu factory.
So where are the Yamahas? Quartararo looked set to take home P8 but Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), on the run to the line, demoted the reigning Champion to P9. A disappointing start to El Diablo’s season, and a surprise for the factory who took two wins last season in Qatar with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) coming home in P11.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) split the Yamahas in P10, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) a lonely 12th. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) edged out Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) in P13 and P14.
Remy Gardner, the leading rookie home scoring a point in 15th! An awesome effort for the Moto2 World Champion!
The fight for the final points went down to the wire as reigning Moto2™ World Champion Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) won the rookie battle for 15th, despite still struggling with a wrist broken in pre-season. Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) gave it one final lap push but the South African was just 0.012s away from a debut premier class point in the end, nevertheless impressing as second rookie as he moves from Moto3™ to MotoGP™.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) leave Round 1 empty handed, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) crashed out unhurt, separately, at Turn 1.
And that’s all she wrote in the season opener. What a night it was under the lights in Qatar, with a new MotoGP™ race winner in the field. Surprises and drama aplenty, and The Beast delivered a beauty. Indonesia is next up – bring it on as Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit welcomes the paddock back to Lombok.
Enea Bastianini:“My feeling now is incredible because I pushed from the start but the most important was to save the tyre until the end of the race. When I saw Pol pushing a lot, I overtook Binder during the race. In the end Pol was really close to me and then I thought I could try to win the race. Then I overtook him on the first corner when he went wide. I want to dedicate this victory to Fausto because he has pushed me a lot from the sky. It’s fantastic for all the team I think we have cried, all the guys. I’m very happy for my family back home, I want to say thanks to everybody for this.”
Moto2 Race
Leading from start to finish, Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) converted pole position into a dominant victory at the Grand Prix of Qatar to kickstart his season in perfect fashion. The Italian beat Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) by a whopping 6.154s on Sunday evening in the desert, the duo also finishing comfortably up the road from third place Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team). The Brit stayed cool and profited from late drama between Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the two tangled – but stayed upright – at the final corner.
Leading from start to finish, Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) converted pole position into a dominant victory at the Grand Prix of Qatar
Vietti got a clean getaway from pole as reigning Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went into Turn 1 too hot, as did Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up). Acosta dropped to the back of the field as Canet made great gains in the opening three laps to go from P9 on the grid to P2. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was P3 and Fernandez was P4.
With six laps gone, Vietti boasted a 0.9s lead over Canet as Ogura picked off Fernandez and Arbolino in quick succession. A mistake at Turn 6 on Lap 9 then saw Arbolino lose touch with the Ogura, Fernandez and Lowes train, and at the front Vietti saw his lead over Canet hit the two-second mark for the first time. That didn’t last long though. With 10 laps left, Canet was just 1.5s shy and in two consecutive laps, the Spaniard reeled Vietti in by 0.3s. But on Lap 14 of 20, Vietti had reopened the gap and the Italian was 2.3s up the road, with Canet 5.4s clear of the podium fight behind him.
Ultimately Vietti was dominant from start to finish; Canet comfortable in P2 and the fight to complete the podium a close on.
Lowes had got the better of Fernandez and Ogura within a lap, with his teammate Arbolino back in contention too. But with two to go, Fernandez dived up the inside of Lowes at Turn 10 for P4, and Ogura held P3 heading into the final lap. Fernandez was climbing all over the back of the Japanese rider, but he was holding firm. Fernandez then lunged at Turn 15, made it stick, and trying to bite back at the final corner, Ogura tucked the front. He slid into the side of Fernandez, which somehow kept Ogura upright, but the contact cost both a podium. Lowes said thank you very much and scythed through for third.
Fernandez was so close to a debut rostrum with Red Bull KTM Ajo but it wasn’t to be for the Spaniard. Arbolino was in the podium hunt throughout and impressed in fifth, the Italian managing to finish ahead of Ogura as somehow, the Japanese rider still finished in P6. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) was a lonely but solid seventh ahead of an all-American duel between eighth place Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and ninth place Cameron Beaubier (American Racing).
Injured Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) picked up a commendable P10 after breaking his left hand at the Portimao Test, the German rider managing to hold off a recovering Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) – the British rider slipped to P20 on the opening lap from P7 on the grid. Acosta climbed his way back up to P12 in his first Moto2™ race, and the 2021 Moto3™ World Champion beat Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Romano Fenati (MB Conveyors Speed Up) – with those three closing out the points.
Rookie Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) highsided out of contention at Turn 5 on Lap 3, and Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) crashed out late on.
Celestino Vietti:“I can’t believe it now! We worked well yesterday, we did good work from FP3 to QP but I didn’t expect this, to stay all the race in front. We knew we were starting from first position so if we were first at the first corner, we had to push as much as possible. We did this, I’m happy for the team, a very good job from the winter test to now. Thank to all the people who believed in me, to all the sponsors and all the team that makes us work like this.”
Moto2™ PODIUM (FULL RESULTS)
1 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – 39’53.637
2 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +6.154
3 Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +10.181
Moto3 Race Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) is back on top! The veteran Italian is a Grand Prix winner for the first time since 2017 after taking victory in the Grand Prix of Qatar, just staying ahead of a late attack from Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team). The two were split by just 0.037 over the line, with Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) completing the podium.
Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) is back on top! The veteran Italian is a Grand Prix winner for the first time since 2017 after taking victory in the Grand Prix of Qatar
Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) took the holeshot from pole, the Japanese rider promoted to the front of the grid as fastest qualifier Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), Dennis Foggia and Leopard Racing teammate Tatsuki Suzuki were all sent to the back of the grid for being slow on the line exiting pitlane in qualifying. Each also had a Long Lap to take, and Foggia two as the Italian was also found to have made abrupt changes of direction on the main straight.
The classic freight train formed as Foggia, Guevara and Suzuki tried to slice back through, with Sasaki at the front of the field holding station and with quite a gap. The three on the fight back made some good progress and then took the Long Lap, but drama struck for Suzuki not long after as Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) made contact with the Japanese rider. That was after contact between Garcia and Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) that saw the former get given a Long Lap penalty and the latter forced to retire. The next? A tangle between Toba and Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the latter crashing out but no further action taken.
At the front, Sasaki pounded on. But heartbreak then struck as the number 71 suffered a huge moment and lost much of his three-second gap. He was then swallowed by the pack, and soon enough forced to pull into pitlane with an issue.
That left a group fight for the win heading the field, with Migno, Garcia, Toba and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) key players at the front. The Snipers machine was a rocket in a straight line, so it looked like attack would be the plan for Garcia, and attack the Spaniard always does…
On the final lap, Toba struck early but Garcia fought back, and the number 11 then put the hammer down to tag back onto Migno. And the two managed to pull out a sliver of daylight, making it a duel for victory into the final few corners. Garcia went for it but found the door shut, and the duo thundered onto the main straight with Migno ahead. The Italian moved over to try and limit the slipstream and that just did the trick, the Honda just staying ahead over the line and the veteran taking his first win in five years and second ever victory – by just 0.037. Garcia takes second despite earlier serving his Long Lap, starting his campaign off with a solid 20 points, with previous Qatar winner Toba beating Öncü to third.
Behind the Turk, John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) had a solid opener to take fifth, ahead of an impressive debut for Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI). The Brazilian rookie produced a superb ride to claim P6 in his first Moto3™ race, 0.4s ahead of the hard-charging Foggia by the flag. Foggia did all he could after a back of the grid start and two Long Laps, as did Guevera after his back of the grid start and single Long Lap. The Saturday hero ended the Qatar GP in P8, so the pair made it a good day for damage limitation at the very least.
Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) rounded out the top 10, just ahead of rookie Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team). Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and rookie Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) were the final point scorers. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was given a time penalty and lost out.
Andrea Migno:“It’s incredible. I’m really, really happy. I tried to do my best during the whole race. I saw Sasaki was really fast and I didn’t have more, the only thing I could do was push and see what happened, and fight for the second place. Then in the moment I saw he lost something, so I said ‘come on let’s push’, and in the end he had a problem. I’m really, really happy because we did a great job. I have to say thanks to the team because they worked well this weekend and to VR46, they are at home, to everyone, they helped me always a lot. I have to say thanks to my family, friends and fans, to everyone. Thank you! I’m really, really happy, I can’t describe the sensation, I still have to realise the moment.”
Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) stormed to a phenomenal first pole position of the season under the glorious lights of Losail International Circuit, beating 2021 Rookie of the Year rival Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) to the top by 0.147s at the Grand Prix of Qatar. Report: MotoGP
The Martinator takes the first MotoGP™ pole position of the season, as we now get set for race day under the lights
It’s Martin’s fifth pole and second in Doha, and the best MotoGP™ qualifying for Bastianini. It also continues a seven-strong qualifying sequence for Ducati, with Borgo Panigale machinery having taken pole every race since Aragon last season. Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lines up in P3, with the top three in the 2021 Championship – Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – all off the front two rows.
Jorge Martin.
Marc Marquez.
Jack Miller.
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) arrives in the truly best seat in the house as he continues to lead the Championship.
MotoGP Q1
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) pinched top spot ahead of Quartararo after the Frenchman just got shuffled out at the out of FP3. The South African had already sat inside the Q2 places, but his seventh and final lap saw him move ahead of the reigning World Champion with a 1:53.512 and increase the tension.
Remy Gardner did well in his first MotoGP Qualifying..
Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) had been in the red as he posted a time attack, but unfortunately for the Frenchman, he passed through the yellow flags after Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) crashed at Turn 2 and his lap was cancelled. Quartararo also lost a lap, but his to a moment that saw his foot off the peg, although he improved next time round.
Brad Binder.
Fabio Quartararo.
There were also late attempts from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), but neither could quite find those few extra tenths to get themselves into the top two on the timesheets.
MotoGP Q2 Shadowing 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Marc Marquez set the first benchmark time – a 1:53.566 – but he wouldn’t stay top for long. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) emerged as the pacesetter after the first runs were completed, and the Australian was less than a tenth clear of a different Repsol Honda: Pol Espargaro. Martin was third, Marc Marquez fourth and Bastianini P5 ahead of the final push.
Marc Marquez.
MotoGP Rd1
Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo
Remy Gardner.
Tensions were high under the lights heading into the final six minutes, all set for the first pole position battle of the season. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez were first to emerge back out of pitlane, the latter getting his RC213V hooked onto the back of Pecco’s GP22. Halfway around the lap, Pecco was 0.018s under teammate Miller’s time, and Marc Marquez just 0.015s off. The tables turned through the third split as Marquez was a tenth quicker than provisional pole, and Pecco half a tenth. At the line, it remained so and it was Marquez who went pole by 0.128s, with the number 63 forced to settled for second.
Pecco was 0.018s under teammate Miller’s time, and Marc Marquez just 0.015s off.
It wasn’t over though, with red sectors galore on the timing screens – Miller, Pol Espargaro and Martin were all on fire, as well as Bastianini and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). Tucked up behind the Repsol Honda of Espargaro, Martin leapt to P1, with Miller going third and Brad Binder slotting into P4.
Attention then turned to Mir and Pol Espargaro, with neither able to challenge the front row, but Bastianini was on course to. Keeping it together, the ‘Beast’ just missed out on pole but takes second his first front row. That means it’s a sophomore 1-2 with Martin leading Bastianini, and Marquez in third. Martin also makes it three poles in a row for Ducati at Losail – the last two of which are his – and seven poles in a row for Ducati overall.
Martin also makes it three poles in a row for Ducati at Losail
Miller was shuffled off the front row after Bastianini’s late time but the Aussie makes it three Ducatis in the top four, with Aleix Espargaro bagging a top five for Aprilia. Younger brother Pol Espargaro lines up alongside in P6, with Brad Binder coming through Q1 to bag P7.
Mir is the leading Suzuki in P8. The Hamamatsu factory have looked like the team to beat but Mir and Free Practice 2 pacesetter Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had a quieter Saturday in P8 and P10 respectively, with Bagnaia sandwiched between the two and also looking for more on Sunday.
So where are Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™? Quartararo starts his title defence in 11th
So where are Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™? Quartararo starts his title defence in 11th, and that’s one place ahead of teammate Franco Morbidelli as Lusail’s most successful manufacturer looks to turn things around on race day.
The Martinator takes the first MotoGP™ pole position of the season, as we now get set for race day under the lights. Tune into the premier class race at 18:00 local time (GMT+3) to see who rises highest in the desert, with the stage set for another stunning showdown.
Jorge Martin:“Yeah it feels good to be on pole position but I’m still not 100% happy because we are missing a bit on race pace still. We have a lot of work to do this evening to find these one to two tenths to fight for the victory. Happy with my performance, we did an amazing lap and happy with the team. Tomorrow starting from pole, try to manage the tyre and understand the race because it will be a tough one with a lot of fast riders, but yeah, we will try our best and fight for the victory.”
MotoGP™: FRONT ROW (FULL RESULTS)
1 Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1’53.011
2 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Team MotoGP™) – Ducati – +0.147
3 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – +0.272
Moto2 Saturday Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) has taken his first ever pole in Moto2™, with the Italian setting a late 1:59.082 to lead Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by just over a tenth. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) had taken provisional pole, but had the laptime cancelled after exceeding track limits. The Brit lines up third.
Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) has taken his first ever pole in Moto2™
Moto2 Q1
Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) moved through, the latter for the first time in his career.
Moto2 Q2 The early session table topper in the pole position battle was rookie Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) from Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) and Arbolino, as Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) suffered an early crash at Turn 5 – the Thai rider went to the medical centre for a check-up, and was declared unfit for a broken finger.
Double 2021 Lusail winner Lowes then leapt to P1 as the yellow flags were shown for a Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crash at the final corner. The reigning Moto3™ World Champion was all ok but his maiden Moto2™ qualifying session was over, and he’ll have a mission on Sunday to move through.
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) then set a time good enough for the front row but it was later chalked off for a yellow flag infringement, as compatriot Lowes increased his advantage at the summit. No one was able to beat Lowes’ time, but Vietti went closest on his final flying lap before the late drama hit and Lowes’ lap was cancelled for exceeding track limits at Turn 15, which handed Vietti pole position.
Rookie Salač put in a mightily impressive performance to front the second row of the grid in P4, and the Czech rider has Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) for company on the second row. Dixon will launch from P7 alongside Q1 graduate Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) and Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), with Acosta starting P10 for his first Moto2™ race after that final corner crash…
Celestino Vietti:“I feel good, I didn’t expect this qualifying. I knew we could fight for the first six or seven positions but I didn’t expect this result. We worked well this weekend and the test, we tried many things. For qualifying, we caught some things which helped me make a faster lap time. We have to work tonight to try to make a consistent race, it’s important. I think tomorrow will be a very big group race. A lot of riders are going fast so we have to see what we can do in the race.”
Moto2™ FRONT ROW (FULL RESULTS)
1 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – 1’59.082
2 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +0.112
3 Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +0.144
Moto3 Saturday Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) has taken his maiden Grand Prix pole position in style with a late lunge to the top in the Grand Prix of Qatar, putting in a 2:04.811 to deny Q1 graduate Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). 2021 Qatar GP winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) starts from the outside of the front row in P3.
Moto3 Q1 Sasaki topped the session, the Japanese rider in Q1 after his final flying lap in FP3 got cancelled. Moving through with him were three rookies: Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team).
Moto3 Q2 Fresh from finishing fastest in Q1, Sasaki was the early pacesetter in Q2 and his initial advantage stood at 0.5s – the fastest lap of the weekend at that stage. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) closed the gap to 0.2s on his second flying lap as a lot of the riders piled into pitlane, but there were only four riders within a second of the top heading into the final five minutes.
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) has taken his maiden Grand Prix pole position in style with a late lunge to the top in the Grand Prix of Qatar
Sasaki was towing teammate John McPhee and the British rider climbed to P5, with Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) then going P4. A freight train of frantic Moto3™ riders formed behind Foggia, a typical lightweight qualifying session.
A gaggle of riders crossed the finish line within tenths of each other, and Guevara was just able to grab P1 from Sasaki. Masia claimed P3 with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) slotting in ahead of Foggia, who slipped to P5. Yamanaka and McPhee’s strategy to go out ahead of the big group worked well as they line-up P6 and P7 for the opening race of the season.
Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) set his best time on the final lap but only managed P8. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and Ortola, impressing after moving through Q1, complete the top ten.
Izan Guevara:“Yeah I’m really happy for my first pole position in the World Championship and I’m really happy for my last lap in qualifying. Thank you to my team for the work in these two days and tomorrow more!”
