Sprint
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) made super Saturday into statement Saturday at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. With a potential match point on the line on Sunday for title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) depending on the Tissot Sprint, the pressure was absolutely on, and the number 89 soaked it up and then some. After battling Bagnaia early in the race as the two started in P4 and P5, Martin made his way into the lead and then held off a charging Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) over a tense final lap, halving Pecco’s points lead in the process as the Championship leader came home only fifth.

Diggia took a stunning second and from second on the grid, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) taking third after leading much of the Sprint from pole. Then came Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), and then Bagnaia after a fascinating showdown in the desert.

It was an immediate shot of adrenaline in the title fight in Turn 1 too, with Marini getting the holeshot as Alex Marquez slotted into second – but there was contact right behind the two between Martin and Bagnaia. Martin, the rider on the inside, just kept third, with Bagnaia left with a few metres to make up. Later round the lap both Alex Marquez and Martin were slightly wide though, and Pecco shot back past Martin as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also attacked and got through.

Martin hit back not long after, putting him right back on the rear wheel of Bagnaia. On Lap 2, it got seriously close again as the number 89 opened the door for himself and made it through, with Diggia trying to do the same. A few corners later, he did.

Meanwhile in the lead, Marini was under attack. Alex Marquez got through but the Italian answered straight back, holding on to it as Martin got the hammer down just behind and set the fastest lap.

Over the line for seven laps to go, Alex Marquez had reloaded and was ready to try again. He once again made it through too, but Martini was even quicker to respond with an immediate cutback. That gave Martin a few more metres too as they squabbled, and the number 89 struck as soon as he had the chance to take over in second, homing in on Marini as Alex Marquez was left to defend against Diggia.

The move from Martin came at the final corner, taking over in the lead and able to hold Marini off into Turn 1. Alex Marquez couldn’t say the same, with Diggia able to get through at Turn 1 and set off after the battle ahead. Bagnaia, meanwhile, was in fifth and just off the back of the gaggle at the front, but with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) charging on, around half a second back. 

The next move saw Diggia attack Marini for second, and from there the number 49 set off after Martin. Or more, the mission began to keep up with the title contender as the hammer went absolutely down. Lap by lap, they both pulled away, with Marini holding a safe third and Alex Marquez able to gather up a bit of breathing space ahead of Bagnaia. 

The leading duo were locked together at the start of the final lap, with Diggia shadowing Martin’s every move. But the number 89 just kept turning the screw and the Gresini machine lost a few metres here and a few there, unable to quite get back on terms with the race leader. Martin crossed the line 0.391s clear to take a valuable 12-point haul from the Tissot Sprint, with Diggia impressing once again after an incredible weekend so far. 

Alex Marquez held on to fourth as Bagnaia was only able to take fifth, and under some late pressure from Viñales, who got past Binder and was on the march. But the number #1 was just about able to respond and keep a two to three tenth buffer, defending P5 but seeing his lead cut to just seven points.

Binder came home in P7, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) putting in an even bigger charge up from P14 on the grid. The Frenchman was able to get past Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who was forced to settle for 10th as Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – now officially Rookie of the Year – grabbed P9 and the last point on Saturday too.

An early, multi-rider crash saw Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) make contact with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also caught up. Oliveira was declared unfit due to a scapula fracture, and Aleix Espargaro has to be passed fit in a review on Sunday morning – with that penalty from Fp2 pending as well…

Check out the full Tissot Sprint results here…

Sunday
It was tense. It was awesome. And it was won in style – defeating the reigning Champion over 22 laps of the Lusail International Circuit. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) trailed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) for much of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, picked his moment, made a decisive move for the lead, and then kept it together to become a MotoGP race winner. 

That context and tension was Bagnaia leading the way for much of the race and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) facing a comeback after a bad start, before then losing more positions too as he faded down to tenth. Bagnaia didn’t seem to know that either, as the #1 nearly opened the goal for himself as he tried to attack Diggia in return and sailed into the run off at Turn 1. With the gap behind enough for him to get back on track in second, it was a heart in mouth moment but only a moment.

Third went to Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) as the number 10 got his elbows out in the fight at the front and then found enough in the locker to hold off a charge from Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) over the final few laps. But let’s rewind.

As the lights went out, everything changed in an instant. Split by just 0.022 and one position on the grid, by the exit of Turn 1 Bagnaia had shot through to steal the holeshot from Marini as Martin suffered a difficult start and dropped back to eight, behind teammate Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). Not long after that the team showed the Frenchman who was behind him too, and he either had a moment and dropped back or heeded a message and let Martin through. With the added complication of Viñales glued to the rear wheel of the number 89 and getting past as well.

Right at the front though, Bagnaia held firm with a few tenths in hand – ahead of quite a squabble too. Diggia got through on Marini and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) tried to follow suit, but had to wait a few corners before he got through. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) needed no invitation to slice past the number 10 either, before also attacking Alex Marquez. Unhindered by the battle, Bagnaia marched on. And so did Diggia – able to unleash his pace and start to reel in the Ducati Lenovo machine ahead.

Martin had his hands full too. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was right on his tail and Viñales right behind the number 93, with Zarco watching on and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) catching the group as well.

At the front, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio still had Binder for company, but the gap would start to increase from there on out as the KTM was left to battle Alex Marquez and Marini instead. The gaps behind Martin, however, were even smaller as a queue was forming behind the number 89.

Viñales was the first mover in the group to get past Marc Marquez and then stalk Martin before making a move. Once past, the Aprilia was gone. The Repsol Honda then attacked and took over before heading wide, letting Martin and Quartararo back through. El Diablo wasted no time in then dispatching Martin, leaving Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) next up as the number 89 was down to eighth again. Miller was through with 10 to go, and next up was Zarco. What would the Frenchman do?

The battle for victory, however, was now a duel: Bagnaia vs Diggia. The laps ticked down and the gap went out to a few tenths then back down, but no move was made in a tense game of chess. Lap by lap, the two marched on round Lusail. Plenty of moves were made in the podium fight though as Viñales arrived at Binder, Alex Marquez and Marini, with too many headlines to choose as the elbows came out.

By five to go, “Mapping 8” appeared on Diggia’s dashboard, before “0000000” appeared on his pit board. Everyone was left wondering what that exactly meant. Regardless, as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) also made his way through on Martin, more points in the title fight were on the line at the front as Diggia decided to make his move.

It was a pretty perfect one at that, squeezing through at Turn 12. And Bagnaia tried to reply on the cutback but Diggia shut the door. From there they headed round the final sector and then corner before blasting onto the main straight, and then hearts went into mouths in the Ducati Lenovo box.

Bagnaia tucked in and gained down the straight before pulling out to try and take the lead back – and couldn’t get it stopped. He managed to pull up enough to avoid clattering into the Gresini and headed into the run off, then able to scrub off the speed and rejoin in second. Own goal avoided for the Championship leader, but that was that if Di Giannantonio could do three more clean laps of Lusail. And he could!

Crossing the line with 2.7 seconds in hand, the Italian becomes the eighth different winner of the season and takes an emotional maiden MotoGP victory. Bagnaia takes those 20 points to extend the gap to 21 over Martin, with the Spaniard crossing the line in tenth after a dramatic weekend of contact in the Tissot Sprint, a little glory and disappointment for both riders, everything on the line… and the title fight definitively to be decided in the final round.

Marini completed the podium as he pulled enough out late on to stay out of range of Viñales, with the Aprilia rider still charging up to fourth. Fifth went to Binder, ahead of Alex Marquez and Quartararo, who got extremely close to that fight in the final laps. Bastianini also charged up the order, setting a scorcher late on and finishing eighth ahead of Miller.

Behind Martin, a final frisson of stress hovered in the form of Marc Marquez over the final lap, but the number 93 couldn’t find a way through. Zarco, right behind both the number 93 and his own teammate Martin, tried a move though – and made some contact with Marquez, the Honda staying up but Zarco barely, dropping back a few seconds to take P12 only tenths ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Rookie of the Year Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) completed the points.

See all the race results from Qatar here…

Moto2
Thailand, Malaysia, and now Qatar. It’s three wins in the last three races for Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) as the Spaniard lights up the Lusail International Circuit to bag another 25-point haul in 2023, as Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46) and Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) finish just 0.009s apart in the battle for the podium – the former clinching a debut rostrum with P2.

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) got a good launch from pole position to grab the holeshot ahead of Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) and Aldeguer, with Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) grabbing P4 from P6 on the grid. Canet went backwards at the start but a great recovery ride on Lap 1 saw the Spaniard climb back up to P2 by the time the field crossed the line for the first time.

At the start of Lap 2, Aldeguer was well wide going into Turn 1 – a mistake that saw the #54 drop to P9. Canet then pounced on Roberts for the lead on Lap 2, with Dixon passing Vietti for P3 on the same lap. The Italian then dropped behind Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) with 15 laps to go, as Aldeguer began to pick his way back through the pack.

With 12 laps left, the top nine were split by 1.9s. Vietti had slipped to P10, just ahead of World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who were only two seconds adrift of P1 themselves. On Lap 7 of 18, Dixon made a move stick for P2 on Roberts and soon after, Aldeguer followed the #96 through – and then got the better of him.

Aldeguer then led with 10 to go and on Lap 8, the Spaniard slammed home a 1:57.725 – over half a second quicker than anyone else could muster up. A couple of laps later, Aldeguer was 1.1s up the road from Canet and Gonzalez, with Dixon dropping to just over a second away from the podium fight in P4.

A run of three 1:57.6s saw Aldeguer’s lead climb to two seconds despite the best efforts of Gonzalez, who had got the better of Canet for P2. A comfortable final couple of laps came for Aldeguer as Gonzalez and Canet went head-to-head for P2. It was Dixon vs Ogura for P4 as we enjoyed two great battles unfold, but for a third straight race it was all about Aldeguer – another stunning ride from the SpeedUp star as he hunts down P3 in the Championship heading to Valencia.

Canet was pipped to P2 by Gonzalez who celebrates a first podium in Moto2, while Ogura’s last corner move on Dixon saw the Japanese rider claim P4 from P12 on the grid. Vietti claimed P6, 1.2s off Dixon, with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Acosta completing the top eight. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Arbolino rounded out the top 10.

Roberts slipped to P11 by the chequered flag as Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – who set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap – was left to rue a poor start to finish P12. Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing), Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), and Jeremy Alcoba (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) were the final points scorers in Qatar.

Moto2 Race Results…

Moto3
The 2023 FIM Moto3  World Championship has been decided in dramatic fashion after an action-packed Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar saw Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) fight his way to victory in one of the most eventful races of the season. The Spaniard did not have it easy by any means as rookie sensation David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) was snapping at his heels on the final lap, but the Colombian couldn’t quite find a way through and neither could Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who came third the hard way: fighting his way through the pack after a jump start for the Turk saw him serve a double Long Lap penalty.

Tensions were high as the Moto3 riders lined up on the grid ahead of the first match point of 2022. The pressure was weighing down on the shoulders of Masia as he prepared for his first chance to become a World Champion, and with Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) six places ahead on the grid,

The lights went out and it was Öncü took the holeshot but an obvious jump start for the Turk would come back to haunt him later on. The elbows were firmly out on the first lap as Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) led across the line the first time around. The Spaniard had Öncü,  Sasaki, Alonso, and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets -MSI) for company. Öncü was then awarded a double long lap penalty for that Jump Start, serving his first straight away as he dropped down the order. But he would be back.

Meanwhile, Masia was on a charge from 10th place on the grid and put himself well within the mix. The chaos continued to unfold as positions were swapping and changing from corner to corner. A harsh move came from Masia early on as he forced himself and Sasaki wide, with both losing out but the latter most definitely more.

It was deja vu with 10 laps remaining as Masia made the same move again on Sasaki as he tried to stuff it up the inside but sent the pair of them wide once again as they dropped down the order to fifth and seventh. For that, the #5 got a conduct warning too. Still, it didn’t take long for the pair to climb their way back to the front before Sasaki reaped his revenge and pushed Masia wide to line up behind the now-leading Holgado.

As the laps ticked the bar-bashing continued as Holgado, Masia, Sasaki, and Alonso swapped and changed positions.  David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) joined the party ahead of the final six laps with 15 bikes still in contention for victory. 

Masia hit the front with four laps to go as Sasaki made sure to put himself just behind the Spaniard. They came across the line one lap later and Sasaki made his move with Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) now up into the top three. It didn’t last long for Sasaki as the Japanese rider got swallowed up by the chasing pack and dropped like a stone down to eighth, however.

It went from bad for worse for Sasaki then, with as the front five broke away with the number 71 stuck battling with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Masia’s teammate, with Masia still leading the way.  The final lap came around and Öncü was the rider on the march, joining the top three with Alonso and Rossi still in podium contention.  No one could touch Masia on the final lap though, with the Leopard rider sealing it with a win as Sasaki tried everything he could to recover positions. Then, a big moment halted his progress to P6 and that was that: Masia was crowned the 2023 FIM Moto3 World Champion. 

Alonso tried everything he could to get the better of the Leopard machine ahead of him, but it wasn’t meant to be for the Colombian as he was forced to settle for second ahead of Öncü. Despite his efforts in the latter stages, Rossi just missed out on a podium position as he came across the line just behind Öncu in P4. Over a second further back was Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) who got the better of Sasaki following the Japanese rider’s last-lap moment.

Moto3 Race Results…

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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. 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”.

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.

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The Bologna factory are chased by a trio of Yamahas who are all within a tenth and a half, as Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), teammate Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) enjoy a successful pre-season to complete the top four.

Unfortunately, the final day of the Qatar Test flattered to deceive. High winds caused dust to scatter across the track, which in turn meant barely anyone ventured out. With just over two hours of the first and only pre-season test remaining, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) were the only two riders to have set a lap time, but eight seconds slower than Miller. The red flags then came out as cleaning machines ventured out to try and improve the conditions, but the majority of the work was already done and dusted for the teams and it was an early pack up.

Stay up to date with MotoGP news here…

In the hands of a charismatic Australian, Ducati will head into the first Grand Prix as the fastest. Miller’s blistering time attack lap on Wednesday evening was proof that he and the new GP21 are looking like a formidable partnership this season, with the innovation kings of MotoGP – of course – bringing plenty of new parts to test in Qatar. The most notable was some new front aero, a significant change and something we’ve not seen before. Elsewhere, the famous ‘salad box’ is a different shape on the new bikes, and another big change we’ve seen in 2021 is the front holeshot device that most of the factories have now got. Ducati, along with Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Suzuki have been seen launching off the line with the bike squatted at the front as well as the rear.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) ends testing inside the top five behind his factory teammate and the trio of Yamahas, and sounded very positive about his work at Losail. Pecco was visibly pleased with the race pace work he had done throughout and when he pushed for a qualifying-esque time, he wasn’t far away at all – 0.261s to be exact.

Thanks to Johann Zarco’s (Pramac Racing) 1:53.899, Ducati have all their non-rookie riders inside the top 10 ahead of Round 1. Consistently the quickest rider through the speed trap – Thursday seeing him reach a new unofficial record of 357.69km/h down the start/finish straight – Zarco was another rider who seemed happy with his performance overall. The Frenchman commented on Thursday that he had worked a lot on race pace and had plenty of things to try, not all of which were good, but that they got through a lot.

Zarco’s Pramac Racing teammate Jorge Martin ended the Qatar Test as the fastest rookie. The Spaniard sits P14 thanks to his 1:54.483, an incredibly respectable time from the Moto2 graduate who is just 1.3s away from Miller’s all-time – unofficial – lap record. Reigning Moto2 World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) finished just 0.022s behind Martin in P15, with Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) claiming P21 – 1.839s shy of Miller.

For the Ducati trio, the week in Qatar has been largely positive with lots of laps completed by all: Martin clocked 159 in the Official Test, Bastianini 178 and Marini 204. All will have been a learning curve as the trio now head back to Europe, do some homework and get set for their MotoGP Grand Prix weekend debuts.

Factory Team Manager Davide Tardozzi rated Ducati’s Qatar Test as a 9/10, the Italian was pleased with every aspect: speed, attitude, and morale of the team. Confidence is brimming in the red camp but one thing that must be said is that traditionally, Losail is a great circuit for Ducati…

At Yamaha, the marque once again proved that their one-lap pace is meteoric. The aforementioned Viñales, Quartararo and Morbidelli all pushed for a fast lap time when they set their best times of the test, and even though they lost out to Miller, things are still looking good for Yamaha in that department. However, it’s race pace and lots of other intricate details that all four of their full-time riders have been working on most in Qatar.

On Wednesday, Yamaha rolled out a new aero fairing and new mudguard. Top speed is still a slight weakness, and these updates seem aimed at reducing the gap to the likes of Ducati and Honda. Moreover, the Yamaha riders have been testing a new chassis and the signs have been positive. It looks like the decision has been made to use it this season.

Second fastest Viñales was seen working hard on his practice starts. On Wednesday and Thursday, pitlane reporter Simon Crafar reported that the number 12 must have been into double figures with the number of times he’d come to the end of pitlane, sink the rear of his Yamaha and launch himself down into Turn 1. It’s a point that Viñales has been focusing on in pre-season testing, as well as the opening handful of laps. We’ll see if his hard work will come to fruition in due course…

New factory recruit Quartararo said it took him a good 30-40 laps to get reacquainted with his YZR-M1 monster on Saturday, but once the Frenchman had regained his confidence at the controls, all seemed to go well. The 2019 Rookie of the Year said he felt comfortable on the new chassis and had tried “many things”, much like teammate Viñales, with race pace looking fantastic for all the Yamahas. Team Manager Massimo Meregalli said both of his riders are feeling very confident, with parts like the chassis and aero body approved!

Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) join their factory counterparts in looking good in race trim. Rossi, judging from the timesheets, was the only rider out of the quartet who didn’t look at slamming in a time attack, but The Doctor is sounding in very good spirits heading into his 26th Grand Prix season. The nine-time World Champion ends pre-season testing 11th overall, with his 1:53.993 proving his best-ever lap at Losail.

Sixth on the combined timesheets was Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro. As has been heavily reported, their 2021 RS-GP is almost completely new: the engine, chassis, two aero designs, exhausts and ‘salad box’ have changed, and Aprilia also have their first carbon swingarm – which means Suzuki are the only manufacturer that doesn’t have this feature. In addition, the aforementioned front holeshot device was being used to great effect by the Spaniard. A 1:53.640 best time was enough to get Espargaro within half a second of Miller, very promising signs indeed.

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, gave their pre-season a 7/10 rating. Understandably, the factory are trying to keep their feet on the ground after a promising 2020 season didn’t materialise into results in the season proper, but he was pleased with the progress shown in Qatar. Rookie Lorenzo Savadori ended the test in P26, 2.571s away, but the Italian has been nursing a shoulder injury throughout.

Meanwhile, it’s fair to say that World Champions Team Suzuki Ecstar have gone under the radar somewhat at the beginning of 2021. Reigning MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir finished P7 overall, one place and 0.033s ahead of teammate Alex Rins. A new chassis and a new swingarm have been used in Qatar as well as all the other little bits that all riders and teams play with, and Suzuki also get a head start on next season with Mir, Rins and test rider Sylvain Guintoli giving a 2022 engine a run…

Mir has admitted that both Ducati and Yamaha look better on overall pace as it stands, but the GSX-RR duo aren’t far away at all. Losail International Circuit isn’t one that naturally goes hand in hand with Suzuki, but the riders are feeling good and have made improvements from last year’s bike – a worry for the other teams. In Mir’s own words: “We are competitive, we are not slow, and it’s only testing.”

Next, we come to Honda. It was a somewhat mixed Qatar Test for the Japanese giants, but the main and overriding positive is the efforts of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team). The Spaniard set the exact same time as ninth place Zarco to finish just inside the top 10, but the outright lap time shouldn’t be the main thing to look at – and that goes for all riders. Espargaro’s adaptation from KTM to Honda has been seamless; the number 44 impressing just about everybody in the paddock with his performance so far. Closing out the test, Pol Espargaro described his debut as a “pain release” from a winter full of anticipation.

Tech-wise, Honda brought three different chassis to Qatar: one ‘standard 2020’, one with carbon bonded onto the frame and a completely new one. Some new aero was testing by Stefan Bradl (Honda Test Team) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in the opening exchanges of the test, and we’ll wait and see if HRC bring it to the opening race.

Nakagami was the second best Honda rider on the overall timesheets in P12, just ahead of Bradl in P13. Both of these riders suffered more than one crash, and a Turn 2 tumble on Wednesday saw Bradl sit out the afternoon session. Honda saw their riders hit the deck 10 times in total – more than any other factory. Unfortunately for Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), a big highside at Turn 9 on Thursday evening resulted in a small right foot metatarsal fracture, but the two-time World Champion should be fit to ride at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig didn’t want to give much away about his feelings regarding the Qatar Test, but he was very pleased with how “smooth” his new rider has adapted. One huge talking point over the next 14 days will also be whether Marc Marquez will be on the bike in Qatar after his latest check-up went very well. Are the signs there for the eight-time World Champion to link up with impressive teammate Espargaro and the rest of the Honda camp in the near future?

After an outstanding 2020 season, KTM haven’t hit the ground running in 2021 on the timesheets as yet, but it is testing. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the fastest RC16 rider and the double 2020 race winner was P16, 1.343s away from the time set by Miller. Teammate Brad Binder finishes 0.165s behind Oliveira on the timesheets in P17, but the Austrian factory have little data in Qatar: no race here last year with their new package has seemingly hampered them and Losail isn’t KTM’s strongest layout.

They did bring plenty of new items to test though. Simon Crafar called them the “winners on the hardware front” and the most notable changes from the naked eye was the slimmer new front fairing that – seemingly – has a few more ‘shark teeth’ carved in. As well as this, test rider Dani Pedrosa was the first seen sporting KTM’s new seat unit.

Oliveira didn’t seem downbeat at the end of the test as the Portuguese star said there have been positive things to take and there are no specific worries at this stage. The number 88 did point out that KTM are struggling to exploit the maximum from the package at the minute, but it’s the timesheets don’t tell the story.

Danilo Petrucci, meanwhile, has completed his first test on a KTM machine and the Italian is pleased with the progress he’s made over the four proper days on track, with some clear ideas of what is needed to improve on his 1:54.895 best. Teammate Iker Lecuona says he has learned a lot and has improved a lot too, but also recognises that there is work to do to close down the faster guys.

So just like that, MotoGP 2021 pre-season testing is over. Next up: the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar. In two weeks’ time the premier class warriors will be back on track at Losail, but it will be during a race weekend. Before that, the Moto2 and Moto3 riders will be taking part in a three-day Official Qatar Test.

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Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) starts 2021 where he’ll want to go on: at the top. The Australian put in a 1:59.074 to go fastest on Friday at the Official Moto2 and Moto3 Qatar test, pipping Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) to the post as he took over late on. 

They say it’s hot in the city but it was also hot just outside it on Friday, with the conditions in Doha a marked improvement on those that greeted the final day of MotoGP testing a week ago. By the end of the day that was more than apparent, with the laptimes dropping from 2:02s to Gardner’s 1:59 dead. Roberts’ pole lap last year was a 1:58.136, so it’s far from a slouchy beginning to proceedings.

Gardner moves to the Red Bull KTM Ajo team this season, one of the biggest names in the class, and the landmark year has certainly started well. So too has it for Canet, as the 2020 standout rookie came screeching out the blocks. Roberts was another who moved up later in the day, and another who’ll be wanting to take a key step forward this season; glad of the good start.

In fourth, Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes was up at the sharp end and only a tiny 0.020 off Roberts despite a crash for the Brit in the afternoon, rider ok – as was Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) as the Malaysian also took a tumble. Fifth went the way of Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) by an even smaller 0.009, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) taking sixth and only another 0.051 in arrears. In short, it was extremely close in the mid top ten…

Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took P7 a couple of tenths back, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) hot on his heels to the tune of 0.045. Just two thousandths back came Jake Dixon in ninth, the Petronas Sprinta Racing rider coming back from injury and off to a good start.

Tenth was an impressive rookie showing from Raul Fernandez. The winner of the final Moto3 race of 2020 blasted out the blocks in Moto2 to put in a 1:59.990 on his new, bigger Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, within less than a tenth of Dixon ahead of him and beating Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) to it by just 0.008. ‘Diggia’ changes chassis this year and was off to a solid start.

Veteran Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was P12 on Friday, ahead of Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing). Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was 14th but set the same best lap as Corsi, with that contest decided by their second best efforts.  Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), another who changes teams and, in his case, chassis, started the year in 15th and edged out Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) by half a tenth.

With so many rookies in Moto2 this season – most making the leap from the Moto3 class – Raul Fernandez shone, but many did themselves proud. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was P17 only 0.010 off Bezzecchi – a race-winning benchmark – and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) only another 0.069 back. Reigning Moto3 World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) headed up another gaggle of rookies in P23, ahead of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). 

Day 2 Moto 2 Test
The leader of the Moto2 pack was Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), and the rivals within 0.089 Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team), Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up), Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46)… whetting appetites for the race weekend ahead quite considerably.

It was windier on Day 2 and once again the morning session was a quiet one – lonely, even, for Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) as the Italian was the sole rider to set a time. By Session 2 though, the ante was upping and the pack heading out, with the final session of the day then seeing all but one improve to set the combined timesheets. At the top was Vierge’s late charge with that five-rider gaggle on his tail, with Canet forced to settle for second for the second day in a row but looking threateningly fast, Navarro making waves up the timesheets, Gardner present once more, Dixon improving as he comes back from serious injury, and Bezzecchi leaping into the higher echelons after a more muted Day 1…

The gaps didn’t exactly get huge from there on out. Two and a half tenths off the super six, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) slots into P7 as he settles in at his new team and on his new chassis, looking ever more impressive as track time goes on. Likewise the man in eighth: Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The Spanish rookie impressed on Day 1, so a grander word is needed for Day 2 as he ended Saturday just 0.019 off Bendsneyder. Fernandez’ 1:59.204 is only just over a second off the 2020 pole lap…

Two veterans came next, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) in ninth by just 0.007 and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), setter of the aforementioned pole, completing the top ten by 0.034. Both have shown good pace on both days so far too, and will likely be pushing for a statement time attack on Sunday.

Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) continued his impressive adaptation and was the second fastest rookie on Saturday, taking 11th and within 0.115 of Roberts. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) slots into 12th ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), the Japanese rider only another tenth in arrears.

The aforementioned Manzi ends the day in 14th as he adjusts to life at Flexbox HP 40 and on a Kalex, with Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounding out the top 15 after Day 2. Rookie American Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) leapfrogged a few of his rivals from Day 1 to take 19th and get the better of reigning Moto3 World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) by just 0.021, with the timesheets necessitating the use of hundredths or thousandths to measure the gap through almost the entire field.

Day 3 Moto 2 Test
Sunday at the Official Moto2 and Moto3 Qatar Test saw Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) snatch P1 in the intermediate class, but the top three was covered by just 0.048 as Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) took second and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) third. All three will likely be starting the year expecting to challenge for wins, and their tests only underlined their speed.

The conditions were fair on Sunday once again, and Lowes’ best is the quickest lap of the test as preparations continued for the coming race weekend(s). The gaps one again show we have a stunner in store, across the top three and throughout the timesheets. Lowes, Bezzecchi and Gardner will leave the test happy, and so too will Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the Brit rounded out Sunday in fourth. After a wrist injury that could have been a career-threatener, getting straight back into the top five is no mean feat. That top five on Day 3 of the test was completed by Dixon’s teammate Xavi Vierge.

Sixth place goes to Bo Bendsneyder on Day 3 as the Dutchman continues to impress upon his move to Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team and Kalex. He was only 0.033 off Vierge as he made a late leap up the timesheets, and is another who has been consistently improving. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) ends Sunday in seventh, another late to move up the timesheets but doing so in style.

Style is also a good word to describe the start of Raul Fernandez’ (Red Bull KTM Ajo) Moto2 career. Fastest rookie throughout, the Spaniard is on course for an incredibly impressive debut race weekend. So too, now, is Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) though as the reigning Moto3 World Champion shot up into the top ten on Sunday, only 0.052 off fellow rookie Fernandez. Arenas’ teammate Aron Canet completes the top ten, sliding down from second on Day 1 and Day 2 but another with some key consistency.

Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) takes P11 by just 0.003 ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with yet another right behind him: Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). The American was only 0.016 off Ogura too… and pipped compatriot Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) by 0.011. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the fastest fifteen, just edging out teammate Tony Arbolino.

Moto3 Testing Day 1
Day 1 of the Official Moto2 and Moto3 Qatar Test at Losail International Circuit saw Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) go fastest in the lightweight category, putting in a best of 2:05.750 on the combined timesheets. It was incredibly close though, with the South African hitting back late on against teammate John McPhee as the Scot was forced to settle for second but only 0.026 back. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) completes a top three on the Day 1 timesheets split by an infinitesimal 0.040.

It was a warm but fairly calm day to begin proceedings in the desert, although many didn’t head out to turn laps in anger until the second session of the day. The first Moto3 session also saw a Red Flag at the end due to an oil spill from Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia), but the clean-up was a quick one. Each class had three stints each on Friday, and the laptimes – somewhat predictably – only got quicker. From 2:09s in session 1 to Binder’s best of 2:05.750, it was a good day’s work for most as they got back down to the business of testing and, for a good few on the grid, settling into their new teams. 

Binder certainly seems to have managed that early enough. The South African’s switch to Honda machinery is off to an impressive start, and at the end of the day he and teammate McPhee ruled the roost, as well as doing a few laps together. Salač continues the Honda domination in third, another late to hit the higher echelons of the timesheets, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) slotting into fourth just 0.002 off Salač. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) completed an all-Honda top five, the Argentinean 0.112 off Binder’s best lap.

Jaume Masia is another veteran switching machinery in 2021 and he slotted into sixth overall as he settles in at Red Bull KTM Ajo, and the Spaniard was still only 0.114 off the top as the timesheets tightened considerably late on. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) was next up after a day bothering the top of the timesheets fairly consistently, with compatriot Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing) putting Husqvarna into P8 overall.

Ninth place goes the way of GasGas Gaviota Aspar’s Izan Guevara as he and GasGas make their 2021 debut in the top ten. The rookie impressed immensely on Day 1 and early signs show his stratospheric rise is likely far from over as he takes on Moto3 fresh from winning the European Talent Cup in 2019 and then the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship in 2020. Guevera was just 0.376 from the top and bookended a second group on the timesheets, with tenth placed Niccolo Antonelli next up but ending his first day with Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 0.245 in further arrears.

2020 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) ends day one of his sophomore year in P11 but only half a tenth off Antonelli, with another rookie on his tail: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The 2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner put his KTM in P12 to impress, having been the fastest rookie on track for a while on Day 1, until Guevara’s late strike for glory. Sergio Garcia (GasGas Gaviota Aspar), Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) complete the fastest fifteen.

Moto 3 Testing Day 2
Day 2 saw John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rise to the top of the timesheets, the British rider leaving it late but able to pull out a gap of three tenths to impress once again, having also been second quickest on Friday. That honour went the way of Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), the Italian 0.306 down, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) taking third.

Saturday at Losail International Circuit saw windier conditions greet the grid, and once again there was a little less action in the first session as only 18 riders headed out. McPhee wasn’t one of them, but the Brit was back up to speed backing up his Friday pace in the afternoon, with no one able to provide an answer for his 2:05.286 and the gap from first to second proving the biggest of the day. He did suffer a small crash late on, but rider ok. Foggia was another fast on both days, Migno likewise – but Saturday saw a different rookie take over as the fastest debutant.

2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had an impressive Friday as the second quickest rookie, but the Spaniard moved even further up the timesheets on Day 2 to take fourth and get into the 2:05s. Also quick in the morning and second only to teammate Jaume Masia, there are some impressive performances coming in from the 2021 rookies already. Izan Guevara (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) was also quickest in the second session of the day.

Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) was fifth quickest and just 0.070 off Acosta, with a close group forming behind the Czech rider. Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) was sixth by 0.093 despite a crash – rider ok, as was fellow tumbler Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power). Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was seventh by 0.014, and he in turn got the better of Masia by just 0.017. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) kept Husqvarna in the top ten in P9 and was a further 0.078 off, with Saturday’s second fastest rookie, Izan Guevara, completing that top ten by another tiny margin of 0.005.

Guevara’s teammate Sergio Garcia slots into 11th, again by a tiny 0.068, with Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) a further tenth back in P12 as the Japanese rider made a huge leap up the timesheets after ending Friday outside the top 20. Friday’s fastest man, Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), was next up by only 0.003 as the South African got the better of Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3). Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) completed the fastest fifteen, getting up to speed as he begins his first full season in Moto3 as, curiously, both a rookie and a podium finisher thanks to his incredible wildcard at Valencia in 2019 on his first Grand Prix appearance.

Moto 3 Testing Day 3
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went quickest on Day 3 of testing, topping the combined timesheets by three tenths and with a lap quite a chunk faster than the previous record, although it will remain unofficial as it was set in testing. His rookie teammate Pedro Acosta, as both the 2020 Red Bull Rookies Cup winner and 2020 FIM Moto3 Junior World Champion Izan Guevara (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) continued their incredible rookie form, with Acosta second and Guevara taking fourth. 

The conditions were good once again on Day 3, with Masia’s best lap taking a second off the fastest effort on Saturday. That best lap came late in the day but it was a cracker, a 2:04.263 as he pipped teammate Acosta by three tenths and set that new, unofficial scorcher. The two Red Bull KTM Ajos have been consistently quick, as have Guevara and Foggia, with the mix of veterans and rookies at the top making for interesting reading.

Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was fifth quickest, 0.072 off Guevara, who was in turn only 0.015 off Foggia. Sixth went to Day 2’s quickest man John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), ahead of 2020 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3). Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) kept his consistency to end the day eighth for Husqvarna, ahead of Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) in P9. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), quickest on Friday, rounds out the top ten.

11th was third rookie Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) as he settles into Moto3 as a debuting full time rider with a podium already under his belt, with Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert Pruestel GP) putting in a solid 12th on Sunday. Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Sergio Garcia (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) completed the top 15, the latter despite a crash – rider ok.

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