MotoGP-Qatar Losail International Circut the first Grand Prix of the year

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Ducati Team in the spotlights at start of 2013 season

Following a long winter of testing and preparing for the 2013 MotoGP championship, the Ducati Team finally heads to the Middle East this week for the first Grand Prix of the year, at Qatar?s Losail International Circuit.

The squad has a much different look than it did just over four months ago at the 2012 season finale in Valencia, Spain, with changes in management and a new rider in Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian will be campaigning his first race aboard the Desmosedici, whereas teammate Nicky Hayden enters his fifth season with the Italian factory.

The team approaches the Qatar Grand Prix with the awareness that 2013 will likely be something of a building year, and the Losail Circuit, where the current lap record was set in 2008 by then-Ducati rider Casey Stoner, offers a first opportunity to see how competitive Dovizioso?s and Hayden?s bikes can be.

As has been the case since that same year, the season opener will take place at night, with illumination provided by an impressive array of outdoor lighting. Also unique is the format, with the event taking place over four days rather than the typical three, and all three classes given an extra free-practice session?the first of which will take place on Thursday night. In addition, Saturday evening will see the debut of a new qualifying system for the MotoGP class, as riders will endeavour to advance through a series of elimination sessions.

Andrea Dovizioso ? Ducati Team
?Losail is a good track for me, as I?ve always had good races there, and I think that the Ducati?s strengths can work in Qatar. We head to this race determined to do well. We know that our pace isn?t so far from the others? on new tyres, so we should certainly be able to fight for a good grid position, but we have a significant gap to make up in race configuration. Unfortunately we weren?t able to do a race simulation in the tests, so tyre wear is a question mark for me.?

Nicky Hayden ? Ducati Team
?I?m very much looking forward to starting another season. Of course I wish we were going into it with more speed and consistency, but I feel like we?ve made progress at every pre-season test. The team has used the dry track time we?ve had very well, and we were able to get more out of the recent Jerez test than I thought we would, considering I?d just had wrist surgery. The Qatar track is smooth, which should suit our bike well, and racing under the lights at the first round is always very unique.?

Vittoriano Guareschi ? Team Manager
?Unfortunately, we weren?t able to complete our work program at Jerez, due to the bad weather. Now we head to Qatar, where we?ll have to try some things in order to complete the setup work. It will be a strange race in unique conditions, as is always the case in Qatar. We hope that the wind won?t bother us too much and that our team will do well. We?ve had very good results there in the past, so the track isn?t an enemy for us. We?ve made steps over the winter, and our bike has improved at every test, so we expect to make further advances in Qatar. Andrea has done well at this circuit; he had a nice race there in his MotoGP debut and finished fourth, and we?ll be happy if we?re able to repeat that. Nicky also likes the track and has done pretty well there, but we?ll have to try hard to limit tyre wear. We still have some question marks, but anyway, we?re optimistic.?


Losail International Circuit Records
Lap Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati ? 2008), 1:55.153, 168.193 Km/h (104.510 mph)
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha ? 2011), 1:53.927, 170.003 Km/h (105.635 mph)

Track Length: 5.380 km (3.343 miles)
2013 MotoGP Race: 22 laps (118.360 km, 73.546 miles)
2013 MotoGP Race Time: 10:00 p.m. local time

2012 Podium: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Casey Stoner
2012 Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1:54.634 ? 168.955 Km/h (104.984 mph)
2012 Fastest Lap: (4th lap) Casey Stoner (Honda) 1:55.541 ? 167.628 Km/h (104.159 mph)

Ducati Team results at Losail (best finish)
2012: 6th (Hayden)
2011: 7th (Rossi)
2010: 4th (Hayden)
2009: 1st (Stoner)
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 1st (Stoner)
2006: 3rd (Capirossi)
2005: 6th (Checa)
2004: DNF

Ducati Team ? Rider Info

Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP13
Race Number: 04
Age: 27 (born in Forlimpopoli, Italy, 23 March 1986)
Residence: Forl? (Italy)
Number of GPs: 186 (88 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Number of Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First GP Win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Poles: 14 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
World Championships: 1 (1 x 125cc)

Dovizioso?s MotoGP results at Losail
2012: Qualifying, 6th; Race, 5th
2011: Qualifying, 7th; Race, 4th
2010: Qualifying, 6th; Race, 3rd
2009: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 5th
2008: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 4th

Nicky Hayden
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP13
Race Number: 69
Age: 31 (born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, 30 July 1981)
Residence: Owensboro (Kentucky, USA)
Number of GPs: 167 (167 x MotoGP)
First GP: 2003 Japanese GP (MotoGP)
Number of Wins: 3 (3 x MotoGP)
First GP Win: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
Poles: 5 (5 x MotoGP)
First Pole: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
World Championships: 1 (1 x MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden?s MotoGP results at Losail
2012: Qualifying, 5th; Race, 6th
2011: Qualifying, 13th; Race, 9th
2010: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 4th
2009: Qualifying, 16th; Race, 12th
2008: Qualifying, 6th; Race, 10th
2007: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 8th
2006: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 2nd
2005: Qualifying, 8th; Race, 3rd
2004: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 5th

 

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Ready to ride at Qatar for the first race of the season

The 2013 MotoGP season kicks-off at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team.

The MotoGP objectives are clear, have the Colin Edwatds and Claudio Corti to figh among the best CRTs for the first CRT podium of the season with their FTR-Kawasaki bike. The Moto2 objective for Simone Corsi, Alex de Angelis and Mattia Pasini and Ricky Card?s is clear, fight for the title with the SpeedUp factory support.

After a short but intense pre season the six NGM Mobile Forward rides are ready to ride. MotoGP testing will begin Thursday at 19:55 local time, preceded exactly one hour before by Moto2?s first free practice session, followed by the second free practice at 21:50 also for Moto2.

COLIN EDWARDS ? 5

?Looking forward to get to this first race with a new package (FTR-Kawasaki) Qatar is always a little bit special to me, being a night race and having had good results here in the past. Looking forward to it, ready to get the year underway.?

CLAUDIO CORTI ? 71

"Finally the season begins! We have worked very hard from the very first test to the last one and I can ?t wait to get on track and see where we are at in terms of the other CRTs. We know we still have a lot of work head of us but right now I want to feel the adrenalin rush that you only get during a race!?

SIMONE CORSI ? 3

?I am very happy to get this new season started. We have tested many things this winter in order to find the best possible setup. I am satisfied of the work we have done on the new bike and I can?t wait to get to Doha!?

ALEX DE ANGELIS ? 15

? I am very curious to see how this first race goes. Qatar is a circuit that I like a lot; it?s always a pleasure for me to ride here. We have the new chassis for this race and we hope it will give us a little something extra to get closer to the top guys. As always I will do my best to get the season started in the best possible way!?

MATTIA PASINI? 54

?I can?t wait to get to race with the new bike on Qatar. I am extremely motivated and so is my team.?

RICKY CARD?S- 88

?We have a long season ahead of us and Qatar is the starting point. This race will help me fully understand where we are at with the bike and its development at this particular circuit and gain confidence with my bike. I am calm and hopeful because I know results will come.?

 

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2013 MotoGP Season ready to kick-off

After an intense winter testing period, including visits to Malaysia, U.S.A and Spain, the Repsol Honda Team are finally en-route to Doha for the first round of the 2013 season.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Qatar GP and the 5.38km track, with its ten right hand corners and six lefts, is host to the only night race on the calendar, with 3600 fixtures helping to illuminate the track. Strategically placed artificial grass helps to reduce the amount of sand blown onto the track, but this still remains a factor for the riders to consider with low grip levels, especially in the first few sessions.

This first grand prix of the season is also the only race weekend that stretches over four days, with FP1 beginning on Thursday evening, FP2 and FP3 on Friday evening, Qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday night at 22h00 local time.

Dani Pedrosa, who has had a strong pre-season - topping the time sheets on five out of twelve days, took second place here in 2012 and has finished on the podium a total of four times in MotoGP and once in 250cc (2012 - 2nd, 2011 - 3rd, 2008 - 3rd, 2007 - 3rd, 2004 - 2nd 250cc).

His teammate this season, rookie Marc Marquez, has also had an impressive winter testing. Marc topped topped the time sheets three out of the twelve days as he has spent valuable track time familiarising himself with the bigger MotoGP machines. He's been on the Qatar podium twice, once in 125cc (2010) and last year when he took victory in Moto2.



Dani Pedrosa

"After a long testing period I am now really ready to go racing! The team has worked hard to get us in the best place for the start of the season and I'm pleased with my physical situation. It's a long weekend in Qatar, with the schedule over four days, and the grip level takes some time to improve with the sand and conditions there. It will be interesting to see how the new qualifying format works and really looking forward to the race. I'm just excited to get the season started!"



Marc Marquez

"We've had a good winter testing and now it's time to go racing. Qatar isn't one of my favourite tracks but I still enjoy it. There are many factors to consider there with the sand from the desert which affects the grip and also the fact it's a night race. Also, as I saw in Jerez, everything is very different on the MotoGP bike compared to Moto2 so we will need some time. Let's see when we get there, for sure I will be nervous going into my first MotoGP race but I'm also excited"

 

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MOTOGP QATAR - ROUND 1
Losail Circuit
MotoGP Setup Report - 02/04/2013



Yamaha Prepares to Open the 2013 MotoGP Season in Qatar
The long winter wait is over as Yamaha Factory Racing prepare this week for the first race of the 2013 MotoGP season, The Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. The unique night-time race schedule will mean that the first practice session of the weekend will happen in just one day's time, on Thursday 04th April.

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo arrives in Qatar as a strong favourite to take opening round honours having delivered several impressive simulations in winter testing at a race-winning pace. Lorenzo will be hoping to replicate the stunning win at the Losail Circuit in 2012 that kicked off the journey to his second premier class title last season. Losail is a good track for the champion, Lorenzo has always started from the front row and always finished on the podium. Last year?s victory was his first premier class win in Qatar.

Valentino Rossi prepares for his first race reunited with Yamaha in confident mood having seen a marked return to form over winter testing. The nine-time MotoGP World Champion has been quick to answer his critics and find a highly competitive pace on the 1000cc YR-M1, putting himself firmly among the favourites alongside his team-mate for podium honours under the spotlights of the Losail Circuit. Rossi can claim three premier class victories in Qatar, the last being also his last outing at the track on the Yamaha M1.

Built in the desert on the outskirts of Qatar?s capital city Doha, The Losail International Circuit has hosted a MotoGP round since 2004. The track celebrated the first ever night-time Grand Prix in 2008 and continues to be the only night race on the calendar. The 5.4km track is well suited to the YZR-M1 with a fast flowing nature. With a main straight over a kilometre in length and a combination of medium and high-speed corners the track is guaranteed to provide an exciting spectacle to start the season.

Jorge Lorenzo
"I am very excited to return to Qatar and begin the season. The testing has been good, we have good pace and we are quite happy with our performance. We still have some areas to improve but our situation is not so bad compared to our competitors and I think we can fight for the win. Jerez was a good point for us after testing in Austin; that was a new circuit where maybe we haven?t yet found a perfect feeling. In Jerez we were able to make a long run and all the Yamahas were on top; that gave us some extra motivation before travelling to Qatar. It also shows that every track is different and it?s going to be an exciting Championship. I want to keep the crown but it?s going to be hard. There are some great riders this year, I was surprised by Marquez? pace and also with Valentino on his return to Yamaha. Dani is also so strong after the last part of the 2012 season. We will fight really hard from the first race, I believe we are in good shape for that. Losail is a track where we usually find a difficult track surface, plenty of sand and because of that it is always very tough with the tyres. We will see how we can perform there. I am feeling very fit and ready so I want to start!?

Valentino Rossi
"I?m very happy with the work done in Jerez and over the winter. I was fast and everything worked fine and we have a competitive bike to fight for the podium. I believe that in Qatar will not be so easy; it is a track that is a little difficult for me, but I think I can defend myself and get a good result. I would like to get on the podium: that's my goal. After the testing I know I can be competitive in some tracks but also that I will have some problems in other tracks. The most important thing is that now I have a good feeling when I ride my M1 and this will help me at all tracks, including Qatar. Every year you get a little bit nervous at the beginning of the season. It?s normal to feel like that; it?s crucial to get some good points and not to make mistakes. I can?t wait to start this 2013 season."


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

"We are pretty satisfied with all the work we?ve done during the winter tests, especially at Jerez, where we were able to find a good pace and we could prove the new materials. I think more or less the work is done and Jorge is ready for Qatar. He is in good shape and we have a lot of good information for the first race in Losail.
As we saw at Jerez, Jorge seems to be quite consistent in a long-run, despite some little problems we found with the setting because of the wet conditions in Jerez. We are looking forward to starting the new season, it?s going to be a very tough year with good rivals like Dani, but also Valentino returning to Yamaha and M?rquez who has been impressive on his first tests. I guess the key for us is going to be keeping calm from the beginning, trying not to make mistakes and going race by race. I can say that Jorge has been training very hard and is very fit, he has a competitive package to ride with the M1 and is ready to fight and defend our title."

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?We arrive in Qatar with good confidence. Our performance over the winter testing has been very good and we are very competitive. We have two very strong riders, both with a good record at Qatar. Jorge has completed some race simulations and I think he?s very physically prepared. Valentino has improved his feeling with the bike at each test. It?s normal that it has taken him more time because for two years he has had another bike, but at Jerez he definitely proved he had the right feeling. The bike will continue to improve over the season but as it stands now it is a very competitive machine and we know it can achieve good results. The track is very suited to the characteristics of the M1, there is only one place which is difficult, the last corner is a very slow turn, first or second gear so we suffer a little there. We believe we can have the best start to the season here.?



2013 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 02/04/2013



Circuit Length:
5380
Lap Record:
1'55.537
(Casey Stoner, 1-1-2009)
Fastest Lap Ever:
1'53.927
(Jorge Lorenzo, 9-3-2008)
Last Years Winner:
Jorge Lorenzo

 

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Yamaha Lead the Way as MotoGP Begins in Qatar

The opening round of the 2013 MotoGP Championship began this evening at the Losail Circuit in Qatar. The first free practice wound up with Yamaha leading the class and dominating the top of the time sheets. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was quick to find a set up on his YZR-M1 and spent the session challenging within the top few positions. As the track conditions improved in the last ten minutes so did the times, the Mallorcan taking the top spot in the last two minutes and increasing speed again to finish with an impressive 1?56.685.

Teammate Valentino Rossi?s first race weekend back on the YZR-M1 began in style this evening, the Italian nine-time MotoGP Champion took almost immediate possession of the number one spot on the timesheets and was only rarely troubled there throughout the session. Only teammate Lorenzo and fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow were able to contend for the fastest time, with all three ending the session within one tenth of a second from each other.


Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, Time - 1'56.685
?It's a very good way to start the season, on top. To have three Yamahas in the first three positions like in Jerez means this track can be positive for us. We need to improve though because the other guys will come in the next practice. We?ll make the step little by little by riding, improving the bike and also the track will improve. Today we tried both bikes and tomorrow we will try the new chassis here.?


Valentino Rossi - 3rd, Time - 1'56.756
?The first practice was very positive for us, we are in third position and we are very close to Jorge. Our pace was ok, especially because I used just one set of tyres to understand if I could be fast with a lot of laps. The setting and balance of the bike is good so it looks like we can be competitive.?


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager - ?Our position is good, especially as the track is quite tricky and dirty, off line it?s quite slippery, but that?s normal here. To be on top and see the competitors struggling a little is good. It?s not what we want to be just yet but we have to be satisfied in first position.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director ?It?s a good beginning and the bike is working very well. This circuit is really suits the YZR-M1. To see both riders consistently leading the practices means something positive. Well check the data now and make some small adjustments and see where we can go. The start has been good!?



Crutchlow stars on opening night in Qatar
The 2013 MotoGP World Championship roared into action tonight, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow one of the leading lights in the season's opening practice session at the floodlit Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The British rider was immediately battling for the top three in a session run in warm but windy conditions, which meant grip levels were far from ideal with sand and dust being blown onto the 5. 38km track surface from the surrounding desert landscape. An indication of how tricky track conditions were was reflected on the timesheets, with Crutchlow's best pace of 1.56.743 some way off the fastest race lap set by Casey Stoner in 2012 of 1.55.541. Full of confidence after setting the quickest time during last month's final pre-season test session at the Jerez track in Spain, Crutchlow continued his impressively fast form tonight to help Yamaha take a clean sweep of the top three in the 45-minute session. A 1.57.795 put him inside the top three and he was able to improve his pace by over a second to keep nine-times World Champion Valentino Rossi at bay and secure a stunning second position behind current title holder Jorge Lorenzo.

Tonight's session saw Bradley Smith make his competitive debut for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team, the British rider making solid progress throughout the session and finished just outside of the top 10 on an encouraging opening night. The British rider dedicated the majority of his time on track to learning lines and braking markers on the YZR-M1 machine, which has never ridden at the Losail International Circuit. Smith completed 18 laps and gaining confidence throughout he ended the session with a best pace of 1.58.369 that put him on the brink of the top 10 in 11th and ahead of Andrea Iannone and Ben Spies.

Crutchlow and Smith will continue their preparations for the unique night race tomorrow evening when two further practice sessions are held under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights.


Cal Crutchlow - 2nd, Time - 1'56.743
?It was a very good first session on a personal level with me finishing second and also for Yamaha with a clean sweep of the top three. As is always the case on the first night in Qatar the track was quite dirty, particularly off the racing line. Even on the racing line it was quite slippery but I am happy to be right in the mix from the start. We need to make some changes to the bike for tomorrow because I felt we had too much weight transfer on braking and acceleration but I've got to be happy to finish in second and ending up in between Jorge and Valentino. Second place is great but I am not reading too much into it. As the track conditions improve some of the rest will get faster and it is still going to be very tough to be on the podium. I am looking forward to the race and being so competitive from the sta rt certainly gives my confidence another lift and helps me carry on the momentum gained in testing.?


Bradley Smith - 11th, Time ? 1'58.368
"I'm really happy with my performance in my very first practice session in MotoGP. It's nice just to get rid of the initial nerves and tension that has been building up as you get ready for the beginning of the season. With such little time on track in 45 minutes we didn't tweak the bike too much. I just wanted to get familiar with the track because the lines and braking points are completely different to what I am used to in Moto2. Being on track with the rest of the field at the same time helps because I can pick up some pointers and I'll watch a video of the session again to understand where I can improve and be faster for FP2 and FP3, where it will be important to finish in the top 10 for the new qualifying format. I'm satisfied with my posit ion though and I am not a million miles behind Nicky and 1.6s off the best pace is the closest I have been since I first rode this bike, so that shows I am moving in the right direction.?


Qatar Free Practice 1 Times:
1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.685s
2. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 56.743s
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.756s
4. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.276s
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.538s
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 1m 57.601s
7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 1m 57.670s
8. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.749s
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 57.843s
10. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.926s
11. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 58.369s
12. Andrea Iannone ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.559s
13. Ben Spies USA Ignite Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.575s
14. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 1m 59.608s
15. Randy De Puniet FRA Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 59.633s
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (ART CRT) 1m 59.758s
17. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.341s
18. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 0.426s
19. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.563s
20. Claudio Corti ITA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 1.227s
21. Danilo Petrucci ITA Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 1.438s
22. Bryan Staring AUS Go Fun Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT)* 2m 1.942s
23. Lukas Pesek CZE Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 2.079s
24. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 2m 2.135s
* Standard ECU.

 

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Steady improvement for Pramac Racing Team at Losail

It was 6.00 p.m., local time, when the second evening of timed practice sessions got underway, though rain had briefly threatened to delay the proceedings. Instead, it was a strong wind that accompanied the entire session, affecting the state of the circuit, which was made particularly slippery by a thin layer of sand.
Ben?s feeling with the bike continued to improve, enabling him to lower his best time by 1.2 seconds compared to yesterday, despite his shoulder still not being 100% fit.

Ben Spies - Ignite Pramac Racing Team
?I?m okay, even though tonight?s session didn?t go exactly the way we wanted. We tried something a little bit different before our practice, and it didn?t work out. We had to make a change during the session, which cost me some time. We know we missed about 50% of testing due to my injury and learning a new bike, so realistically, our testing is starting now. It was the first time that we pushed the bike hard, and I?m learning things about it. We?re changing stuff and getting used to it, but we need more time. The feeling with the bike is getting better every time out.?

 

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Qatar challenge for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Riders Edwards & Corti

NGM Mobile Forward racing riders Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti get to the Losail International Circuit with high expectations to narrow the gap with the top CRTs and find the ideal setting for this first qualifying session of the season.

Edwards continues to gain confidence with his FTR ? Kawasaki bike during this second day of free practices and ends FP3 in 1?58.863, two seconds faster than during FP2. Corti ended this second day of free practices with 2?00.439 after having a problem during today?s second session caused by the loss of oil from the engine, thankfully nothing was broken.

Both the American and Italian riders look forward to tomorrow?s new qualifying procedure and hope to start off the year with a good result with their FTR- Kawasaki bike.

Colin Edwards - 5
?The first session today we thought we would go ahead and try the hard tire, which is with what I raced here last year and we decided to give it a go but the track wasn?t up to par, dirty and dusty. Didn?t get a lot accomplished, had a couple ideas and started the second session making changes to the suspension and the change we had ready from yesterday on the electronics on the throttle pickup and between those two things we made a huge step. The bike feels comfortable now and that?s the main thing. We got over that hump and feel good and comfortable. Obviously we went on to use the soft, tires this afternoon, not sure if they can do the race but I don?t think we have a choice right now. We are going to test the hard one again tomorrow and we will see. Thanks to my electronics guys and Ohlins, I think together we put together a good package.?

Claudio Corti - 71
?It didn?t go as well as we hoped. We had a few technical problems during the second session making us waste precious time. We haven?t been able to find the right setting and the right feeling with the bike, especially with the front of the bike. I will take full advantage of tomorrow?s first session to find the right setting and improve the race pace. I would like to reduce the gap with the other CRTs and be closer to Colin and the other Italian riders. We will be looking at the data tonight to find the right solution for tomorrow hopping to have a good qualifying results.?

Sergio Verbena ? MotoGP Technical Director
?We are finally in Qatar for the first race where last year we had good results as best CRT on the race. This year the competition is higher so we need to work a lot. Yesterday we had a good start with both Colin and Claudio. This morning the track conditions were pretty bad with a lot of sand on the track and we didn?t have any grip and both riders had a lot of trouble to ride the bike in these conditions. This afternoon we found a good solution to get more grip and Colin managed to be two seconds faster during the second session of the day. Unfortunately Claudio had problem with bike one and lost some time and at the end of the practice he found something good for the setting and tomorrow we will try to confirm if it works.?

 

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Abraham cutted nearly one second in Qatar but dropped down two positions

Czech rider Karel Abraham reached 1:59,180 at the end of the Day 2 of Grand Prix of Qatar entering the last day before race on 18th position. Czech rider remains approximately 3 seconds slower than the Friday?s fastest rider ? rookie Marc M?rquez.

Karel Abraham:
?Today?s first free practice was quite good, not so good was the second one. I?ve got problem with chattering of the front and it?s really uncomfortable for me. We must speed up one more second to achieve our goal and it?s gonna be hard, because we have only one free practice left just before the key ten-minutes long qualification.?


Marco Grana, chief-mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?Today was not so perfect. The positive thing is that we?re improving from practice to practice. Today we cut nearly one second, but we dropped down two places. Tomorrow we want to change the setup to help Karel to feel comfortable with the bike. Karel was complaining about chattering. We?ll try to solve it out. Our goal is to cut the half-second gap to De Puniet and Barbera and to be between three fastest CRT bikes. We? re quite happy with the tyres, we can make race without problems with them.?

 

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Yamaha stay on the Pace in Qatar

Action resumed today at the Losail Circuit in Qatar for the opening round of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship. As Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi got to work under the floodlights they had to cope with strong winds and a dirty track with sand blown across it. World Champion Lorenzo was quick to find a competitive pace despite the conditions as he evaluated a different chassis spec and set up. He ended both the first and second of the practice sessions in second position, the final one just 0.01seconds from the front having led for the majority of the heat.

Teammate Rossi continues to shine on his return to Yamaha, the Italian becoming a permanent fixture at the sharp end of the timing sheets as he hunts for the best set up ahead of Sunday night?s race. Rossi wrapped up the first of the day?s session?s in third position and led for most of the second before settling for fourth at the end despite being hampered by a severe headache from the previous day?s riding.
Jorge Lorenzo - 2nd, Time - 1'56.685

?I?m very happy with the changes we made on the bike because it improved a lot. In the last moments the track was better this evening, in the beginning it was very dirty. I think we can still improve the bike more tomorrow, we still haven?t decided which chassis is better; today it was the new one, yesterday the old one. I?m very curious to see how the qualifying goes with the new formula, we will just be concentrating on making four fast laps, the maximum performance we can get.?
Valentino Rossi - 4th, Time - 1'56.756

?The practices are not so bad, we are continuing to work for the race. We still have to decide which tyre to use; that will be very important for Sunday. We are ready for tomorrow for the qualifying practice to try and start as far in front as possible and aim for the front row. For the rest it?s not so bad, we continue to work and improve. Yesterday after the practice I had a problem with a very strong headache so I wasn?t at 100% today. Now I?m not so bad and coming better and tomorrow I will be at my maximum.?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?The first free practices are done and we?ve qualified for the second qualifying session. This is important so we don't have to stress about the first qualifying session. Everything went smoothly and we tried a few things. The circumstances are not fantastic as everyone can see, there?s a lot of dust on the track. In the first practice there was also a lot of wind, that also disrupts the steps we want to make because every time we go out the situation changes. Jorge was happy with the results in the last practice so we?ll have to find the best combination of the two bikes we used today and I think we will be ready for tomorrow.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?Today the track conditions were not perfect to enable us to finalise the set up and also to be able to choose between the two different chassis. So far we?ve done a good job, I think we?ve got enough data and I think both riders are in good shape. Tomorrow in the last free practice we will fine-tune the bikes. Both Jorge and Valentino have good consistent pace and speed so we are ready.?

2013 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 05/04/2013
1 Marquez Marc Honda ESP 1'56.477
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'56.685
3 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'56.743
4 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'56.756
5 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'57.257
6 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'57.538
7 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'57.601
8 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'57.749
9 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'57.843
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'57.926
11 Ben Spies Ducati USA 1'58.137
12 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'58.340
13 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'58.559
14 Yonny Hernandez ART COL 1'58.871
15 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'58.904

 

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Marquez fastest in Qatar on day two with Pedrosa closing the gap

Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa comfortably secured their places in tomorrow's Qualifying 2, by achieving the 1st and 6th fastest times in the combined times of the first three sessions.

Marc finished on the top of the time sheets in both Free Practice sessions in Qatar today, with a fastest time of 1'56.084 recorded on lap 16 of 17 in FP3, on a new soft rear tyre. Teammate Dani, improved his RC213V in the last session and set his fastest time of 1'56.502, just 0.418 off Marc, on lap 9 of 17 with a used soft rear tyre.

Tomorrow's Free Practice 4 will take place at 19h55 local time, and will be used by the Repsol Honda riders as a final session to prepare for the race and the 15 minute shootout - Qualifying 2 session at 21h00.



Marc Marquez - 1st - 1'56.084

"Practice today went pretty well - better than expected. I was very comfortable on the bike, and this is the important thing. Our foundation isn't bad at all, we are improving in every session and working with Sunday's race in mind. What we are missing is a bit of pace and consistency. We will have to make the most of the 30 minutes that we have before qualifying tomorrow to improve those points".



Dani Pedrosa - 6th - 1'56.502

"We improved a little today and are now further up the order. We are faster and entering corners better, but we?ve still got a way to go. We hope to gain a little rear grip, which would allow us to ride more comfortably. The times keep dropping with every session, but we are going to try to keep getting better and prepare for qualifying and the race. The track isn?t in good condition this year and I don?t think that this will change; maybe it will improve slightly as more laps are completed. However, this doesn?t mean making any big changes to the bike ? just improving the setup for the conditions we have".



Practice Results

1 - Marc Marquez - 1?56.084 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

2 - Jorge Lorenzo - 1?56.085 - SPA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing

3 - Cal Crutchlow - 1?56.326 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

4 - Valentino Rossi - 1?56.416 - ITA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing

5 - Andrea Dovizioso - 1?56.417 - ITA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

6 - Dani Pedrosa - 1?56.502 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

7 - Alvaro Bautista - 1?56.572 - SPA - HONDA & FTR - Go & Fun Honda Gresini

8 - Nicky Hayden - 1?56.670 - USA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

9 - Bradley Smith - 1?56.901 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

10 - Stefan Bradl - 1?56.984 - GER - HONDA - LCR Honda MotoGP

11 - Andrea Iannone - 1?57.169 - ITA - DUCATI - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

12 - Ben Spies - 1?57.308 - USA - DUCATI - Ignite Pramac Racing Team

13 - Aleix Espargaro - 1?57.420 - SPA - ART - Power Electronics Aspar

14 - Hector Barbera - 1?57.956 - SPA - FTR - Avintia Blusens

15 - Yonny Hernandez - 1?58.211 - COL - PBM - Paul Bird Motorsport

16 - Randy De Puniet - 1?58.396 - FRA - ART - Power Electronics Aspar

17 - Colin Edwards - 1?58.863 - USA - FTR-KAWASAKI - NGM Mobile Forward Racing

18 - Karel Abraham - 1?59.180 - CZE - ART - Cardion AB Motoracing

19 - Hiroshi Aoyama - 1?59.212 - JAP - FTR - Avintia Blusens

20 - Danilo Petrucci - 1?59.755 - ITA - IODA-SUTER - Came IodaRacing Project

21 - Bryan Staring - 1?59.758 - AUS - HONDA & FTR - Go & Fun Honda Gresini

22 - Lukas Pesek - 1?59.837 - CZE - IODA-SUTER - Came IodaRacing Project

23 - Michael Laverty - 2?00.080 - GBR - PBM - Paul Bird Motorsport

24 - Claudio Corti - 2?00.439 - ITA - FTR-KAWASAKI - NGM Mobile Forward Racing


Supplied by Repsol Honda Team

 

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Six row for Karel Abraham at Qatar MotoGP season start

Karel Abraham will start the 2013 season first MotoGP race in Qatar from 18th place. Abraham reached 8th fastest tim during the fifteen minutes long qualification (Q1) with 1,120 second gap to the fastest Aleix Espargaro. Czech rider speeded up about 0,909 second compared to the Friday?s practice and reached 1:58,271. Abaja will join Yonny Hernandez and Hiroshi Aoyama on sixth row.

Karel Abraham:
?Yesterday I said that it would be hard to be cut one second from Friday lap time. We did it, but we needed to be even faster and cut another half second gap. We must decide which tyres to use in tomorrow warm-up. We?re not sure if the soft can make whole race, so we must check if I can make good lap time on hard. It won?t be easy race, but I believe that we can fight for points.?

Marco Grana, chief-mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?We cut another second from our time, but we needed more to be satisfied.We?ll try to adjust the setup of the rear part in the warm-up. Bike is even better prepared after today?s practices, we?ve eliminated yesterday?s chattering which was making problems for Karel. I think we?re ready for the race. We can make fast times constantly, and that?s the most important for whole race. Our goal is to stay together with De Puniet after the start and to finish as one of three fastest CRT bikes.

 

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First Top Ten start for Andrea Iannone

The floodlights were back on for the third consecutive night at Qatar?s Losail International Circuit, which was covered by a thin layer of sand following a day of strong winds in Doha.
Andrea Iannone continues to suffer from arm pump in his right forearm, which prevented the Italian from riding his bike aggressively during this evening?s qualifying sessions. Nevertheless, the runner-up position obtained in Q1 allowed him to take part in the Q2, in which he clocked an excellent time of 1'56.523, putting him in tenth position on the starting grid for tomorrow night?s race.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?Unfortunately, after riding in Q1, I only had one soft tyre left for Q2, or I probably could have done something better. Along with my team, I want to understand how to change my riding, because I have some problem in tight corners. However, I improved my time in every session, and I think that?s absolutely a positive. My goal now is to finish the race inside the top ten.?

 

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The Qatar floodlight await the first race for NGM Mobile Forward riders Edwards and Corti

NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders completed the first qualifying session of the season with the new qualifying format here in Qatar. The American rider and his Italian teammate will both start the race from the seventh row.

Edwards seems to have found a reliable electronics setting that makes him confident for tomorrow?s race and makes him believe that the fight between the CRTs during the race will be close. His teammate Corti has significantly improved his feeling with the bike and believes that he can improve his lap times and maintain a good race pace for tomorrow with his FTR - Kawasaki bike.

The CRTs have become very competitive bikes and we will expect to see a very exciting first race under the floodlight in Qatar.

Colin Edwards - (1?58.361) 19th
?We made a little change to the bike today for the qualifying; we kind of came back to what we had but wasn?t the golden piece and because we have no major dramas with the electronics since we kind of found something that works, so we didn?t try to do anything too crazy today, kind of stick to what we?ve got. We went out to qualify and went four tenths faster than I had gone all weekend, I am excited for the race tomorrow. The new qualifying system was pretty cool, instead of sitting around for an hour it was down to business; you only had a certain amount of time and it was done. I enjoyed that. As far as where we qualified today, it doesn?t look good but that is all we had today so we will have to wake up bright and early and wait for the race and get on the gas.?

Claudio Corti - (1?58.755) 21st
?I am pretty happy even if the lap times are not incredibly fast because the feeling with the bike has improved. We have been able to make the bike easier to ride and in terms of the race that means that it will be easier to maintain a good race pace. I could have improved of a few tenths the lap times since I realized that during my fast lap I made a few mistakes. Yesterday we found our selves having a few problems after the free practices but we managed to overcome them in time for tomorrow?s race. I hope to have a good start and a good race; I want to get close to Colin and the other FTRs. We can?t let our guard down and we have to double our efforts. We will see what the result is after they wave the checkered flag tomorrow!"

Sergio Verbena ? MotoGP Technical Director
?Last year after the first qualifying of the season we were the best CRT. This year we are we are a little bit behind, the level of the competition has definitely improved and the level is very high even within the CRTs. We have reduced the gap of half a second form yesterday?s lap times, finding a good race pace for tomorrow and we only have to find a bit more grip in order to allow Colin to go faster. We are close to the other FTR- Kawasaki bikes and that means that we are close to having the ideal setting. During the warm up we will try to work to provide Colin with the consistency needed for the race, considering the sand on track. Claudio had some problems throughout the weekend but today he has proved he can have a good consistency in terms of his lap times. He has been able to ride through the problems and if we are able to find the ideal setting he could be able to put up a good fight.?

 

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Lorenzo Conquers New Qualifying Format for Stunning Pole in Qatar

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo became the first MotoGP rider to take pole position under the new qualifying format tonight at the Losail International Circuit for tomorrow?s Grand Prix of Qatar. The new quick-fire format allowing just 15 minutes for the riders to deliver their best lap proved an intense session. Lorenzo was quick to move to the top of the time sheets with a fats lap only to be relegated to third by rival Dani Pedrosa and then fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow. The Champion then responded with a stunning 1?54.714 second lap, over two tenths clear of Crutchlow in second to take his first pole of the season.

Having set a threatening pace over the practice sessions Valentino Rossi looked promising for a strong qualifying session. Unfortunately the Italian nine-time World Champion was held up in traffic on his second outing with a fresh tyre and was unable to make it to the front row for tomorrow?s race. Rossi will start his first Grand Prix back with Yamaha from the fourth row in seventh place.
Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, Time - 1'54.714

?I?m really happy, for three or four laps we pushed to the limit. I knew Cal was really fast over one lap so I had to push to the maximum. I?m very happy with this pole position. The important thing is that the Yamaha works here at this track. I think for the first time of the new qualifying format it has been very positive and for the fans it is very good to watch. For the riders you are a little more nervous and you have less time to make a fast lap. I knew I was competitive but the ten minutes before the qualifying we had some problems with the set up of the bike so it was more difficult to make the time. We had to change to yesterday?s setting. The important thing is it make a good start tomorrow. The last simulations I made were better than yesterday so I?m quite confident for the start. If there are problems in the first laps we have to be patient and wait for the middle of the race.?
Valentino Rossi - 7th, Time - 1'55.711

?The qualifying was not fantastic for us, especially as we lost the second row. Our performance during free practice was better than this, we?ll wait for tomorrow. Unfortunately in the qualifying session with the second tyre where we had to improve I was stuck in traffic so I could not improve my lap time and I lost some positions. For sure tomorrow it becomes more difficult to start from further behind but we have a good pace so we can be quite competitive.?

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?The new qualifying system has been run for the first time and Jorge got the pole. It was very exciting I have to say. Everything is focused on just 15 minutes so you are more nervous than with an hour qualification. He did very well and was happy with his performance and with the bike also. We are looking forward to tomorrow?s race. There are three or four guys who are strong, but we will try to win the race and if not be on the podium! The first challenge is the start and we'll see from there.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?There?s no better way to start the season than with a pole. The lap that Jorge did was amazing. He could have gone even faster but anyway what he has done is really great. The pace he has is really good and I think we can be pretty optimistic for tomorrow. Unfortunately Vale had some traffic during his last tyre and that compromised his possibility to do two fast laps. He has to start from the third row but he is a fighter and what we have seen from the last two days means we know he can do well. We are ready for tomorrow.?

.

2013 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 06/04/2013
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'54.714
2 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'54.916
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'55.151
4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'55.160
5 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'55.477
6 Marquez Marc Honda ESP 1'55.645
7 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'55.711
8 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'55.870
9 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'56.315
10 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'56.523
11 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'56.667
12 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'57.064
13 Ben Spies Ducati USA 1'57.440
14 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'57.551
15 Lukas Pesek Ioda-Suter CZE 1'57.926

 

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Pedrosa grabs front-row start for season opener

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) will start tomorrow evening?s season-opening Qatar Grand Prix from the front row of the grid after a dazzling performance in MotoGP?s new-look qualifying format.
The Spaniard was third fastest in the 15 minute session that was topped by reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) both secured second-row starts, placing fifth and sixth fastest under the Losail floodlights.

Conditions at the desert-based circuit have been typically tricky since practice began on Thursday, with wind blowing sand onto the track making grip worryingly inconsistent. Yesterday evening a rare rain shower affected the Moto2 and Moto3 practice sessions.

Tonight?s MotoGP qualifying session was an historic occasion for motorcycle Grand Prix racing ? the first time that qualifying has been split into two groups. The new format divides MotoGP riders into two groups following the first three practice sessions: the fastest ten and the rest.

After a final 30 minute practice session, qualifying then takes place in two 15 minute outings, with the slower group out on track first, in Qualifying 1. The fastest two riders from that session are then seeded through to the Qualifying 2 session, in which they get the chance to battle with the fastest ten riders for the best grid positions. The Moto2 and Moto3 classes continue with a traditional qualifying format.

The introduction of the new system adds extra tension to qualifying, with riders having only enough time for two short runs, which leaves no room for even the tiniest of errors by rider or team. Tonight was particularly tense, with riders wondering how the new format would work for them.

Like many of his rivals, Pedrosa struggled to find a fully clear track during the 15 minute session. Nonetheless he was happy that he made it onto the front row and he has some ideas to further improve his factory RC213V that he will evaluate in evening warm-up.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) will start the first race of his second season in the premier class from the middle of the second row, between Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) and Marquez. The impressive German paced himself perfectly, gradually picking up speed throughout practice to find his maximum pace when he needed it most. After solving an issue with front-end feeling during the first three sessions he made another crucial change for qualifying that worked out well.

Marquez performed brilliantly in his first MotoGP qualifying session, even though sixth place didn?t quite match his position at the end of the first three practice sessions. Yesterday evening the 20-year-old was the fastest man on track, outpacing Lorenzo by one thousandths of a second! He attributed his sixth place on the grid to a couple of minor errors that he made in his first qualifying run and an inability to reach his maximum straight out of the pits. That skill will surely come with more time on a MotoGP bike.

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) enjoyed the new qualifying format, but he struggled with front-end feeling. The Spaniard has a good race pace and feels that the race will go better for him, especially if he can get away with the leading group.

Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) will start his first MotoGP race from 23rd on the grid. The Australian ? riding a CBR1000RR-powered FTR Honda CRT bike ? is still getting acclimatised to MotoGP machinery and was happy enough with his first qualifying session in the premier class.

Race night gets underway with the Moto3 race at 7pm (local time), followed by Moto2 at 8.20pm and MotoGP at 10pm.



Honda MotoGP rider quotes



Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 3rd ? 1m 55.151s

?Today we were able to improve a lot and take a front-row start for tomorrow. It is important to start high up the grid whenever you can, because there are some very fast riders up against us. We still need to improve a few things with the bike and I hope that we can have a good race. The key will be to choose a good tyre compound and find a strong pace.?



Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: 5th ? 1m 55.477s

?Fifth position was our target because our rivals are very strong at every circuit and in all conditions, so we must be very happy with our performance today. During free practice four we improved our set-up and the front-end feeling which was the key to going faster. I was not completely happy so we made another adjustment before QP and we were lucky because it worked well. This new qualifying system made everybody nervous but, in the end, it was exciting. Everyone used the same strategy and there was a lot of traffic, but we will get used to this and I think it?s more fun for the fans.?



Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: 6th ? 1m 55.645s

?Today was my first MotoGP qualifying session and the first time that we?d had the short 15 minute run, but the result was what we had expected. I still need to be a bit more ?explosive? and push hard from the start. We got the sixth fastest time, as on my opening two fast laps I made mistakes and lost a few thousandths. That is something that we have to improve. We still have the warm-up tomorrow, in which we need to continue working on our pace and from there, we need to choose the best tyre for the race. The important thing will be to make a good start and see what happens.?



Alvaro Bautista, Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 8th ? 1m 55.711s

?The new qualifying format was good fun, but in 15 minutes you don?t have time to make any mistakes. I didn?t have much feel for the front tonight and we tried to fix that but we?re still not happy. My pace on used tyres isn?t bad so we?ll try to improve the setting in the warm-up and I?m confident that if we make a good start I can run with the front group. The race is long and this track isn?t easy so anything could happen.?



Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 23rd ? 1m 58.912s

?I am satisfied because I feel I am slowly getting to grips with MotoGP. My position on the grid isn?t the best but for me it was important to go into the race having taken some steps to further improve my feeling with this bike and we did that. I feel more relaxed today and I am sure we can start to make some real progress soon. Unfortunately it takes time but I have a very supportive team.?

Pole position : 1m54.714s (168.800km/h) Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
Circuit Best Lap : 1m53.927s (170.003km/h) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha, 2008)
Qualifying position
1 Jorge Lorenzo 1'54.714 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Cal Crutchlow 1'54.916 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
3 Dani Pedrosa 1'55.151 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Andrea Dovizioso 1'55.160 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
5 Stefan Bradl 1'55.477 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
6 Marc Marquez 1'55.645 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
7 Valentino Rossi 1'55.711 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
8 Alvaro Bautista 1'55.870 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
9 Bradley Smith 1'56.315 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10 Andrea Iannone 1'56.523 ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
11 Nicky Hayden 1'56.667 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
12 Aleix Espargaro 1'57.064 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Ben Spies 1'57.440 USA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
14 Randy De Puniet 1'57.551 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
15 Lukas Pesek 1'57.926 CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
16 Yonny Hernandez 1'58.058 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
17 Hiroshi Aoyama 1'58.263 JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
18 Karel Abraham 1'58.271 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
19 Colin Edwards 1'58.361 USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
20 Danilo Petrucci 1'58.486 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
21 Claudio Corti 1'58.755 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
22 Hector Barbera 1'58.806 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
23 Bryan Staring 1'58.912 AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
24 Michael Laverty 1'59.572 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport

 

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Excellent start and crash.Karel Abraham disappointed by season debut

Karel Abraham did not finished this years first MotoGP race at Losail Circuit in Qatar. Czech MotoGP rider lost front while chasing Randy De Puniet in the first lap of the race. He didn?t suffered any injury and he will be prepared for next race at Circuit of Americas in Austin, TX.

Karel Abraham:
?I?m really pissed off. I did very good start and getting towards. I rode just behind Randy, entered the corner as usual but when I turned on the gas, I lost the front. It happened very fast and I don?t understand how. It happened really fast and I couldn?t do anything to save it.?

Marco Grana, chief-mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?Karel did very good start and was very fast in the first lap. He get just behind Randy De Puniet but he loose the front and crashed out. We learned from it that we must focus on qualifying practice to get better position on grid. Then we won?t need to ride crazy on the beginning of the race. Aleix Espargaro and Randy de Puniet were not extremely fast and we could race against them, if Karel gets closer to them in QP. We improved our bike during this weekend and we are ready for Texas.?

 

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Top Ten for Pramac Racing Team

The long wait for the 2013 MotoGP championship finished at 10 p.m. Qatar time, when Losail International Circuit?s start light flashed off and the first race of the season got underway.

The Pramac Racing Team finished its race weekend with solid top-ten finishes by both of its riders, Andrea Iannone (Energy T.I. PRT) and Ben Spies (Ignite PRT), with the pair taking the checkered flag just behind fellow Ducati riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden.

Despite his right shoulder still not being at 100%, the American soldiered on to finish the race in tenth place.

Ben Spies ? Ignite Pramac Racing Team
?It was the best tenth place I?ve ever had in my life. The race was good. We get off to a good start, but I knew I couldn?t run with a good pace for a long time. I was actually worried before the race, because after yesterday?s crash and straining my shoulder in practice, I didn?t think we?d be able to finish. Once I saw that the top ten wasn?t impossible, I just pushed as hard as I could, and I was able to make it. I just want to thank the guys for doing everything they could to make the bike easier to ride, and I was happy. We finished the first race, and that?s the most important.?

Francesco Guidotti ? Team Manager Pramac Racing Team
?Overall, it was a positive weekend, as we get a lot of satisfaction from putting both of our riders in the top ten despite both riders? physical conditions. Ben is still suffering from the injury to his right shoulder, and Andrea had a problem with his arm that he had never experienced in the tests. I would like to thanks the Mobile Clinic for having help both riders. I would say we?re very satisfied.?

 

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First race and first step for Edwards and Corti

The first race of the season has come to an end under for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti in Qatar.

Both the American rider and Italian rider have improvd their feeling with their FTR ? Kawasaki bikes. Unfotunately neither one of them was able to take the first points of the season during this first race. Corti finished sixteenth one position away from the points after having an impressive start of the race where he gained seven positions within the first few laps while Edwards was constraiend to retire due to a technical problem.

Claudio Corti ? 16th
?I made a really good start and was convinced of being able to have a race pace of 1?58. I was very motivated and determined to stay close to the Aprilias and fight with the other FTRs. Just after the start I managed to take some positions but my eagerness to be close to De Puniet caused me to go long on the first turn. While coming back in I must have damaged the front rim with the curb and caused me to have vibrations. A real shame because I was convinced of being able to have a good race. We had a few problems from the tenth lap, a problem that we have had throughout the winter and the time has come to solve it. We can do better; we have the potential both in terms of the bike and as a team. This is only the first race and we have already gotten really close to the points.?

Colin Edwards ? Not Classified
?We made a change just before the race, went a little bit harder on the front forks spring and the bike was fantastic. It did everything right tonight. I started the race feeling confident and tried to heat up the clutch to get it to slip and it didn?t slip at all so then I had to readjust and lost positions. The start was terrible, saw the guys in front of me and started to make some moves. I saw Barbera and Hernandez there and by the time that I got around they had pulled a little bit and managed to come back at them but with seven laps to go I had an issue in turn 10 and I shift down to fifth and it would come back to forth so I would have to shift again and it either broke the front sprocket. I was lucky the chain didn?t lockup the wheel. Thanks to my team, my bike felt good today, we were just unlucky.?

Sergio Verbena ? MotoGP Technical Director
?The fact that we took no points today does not reflect our true potential. Colin did a great beginning race, always close to the points positions. He was close to the Aprilia of Hernandez and managed to closeup on Barbera and was preparing to attack. We had a techncial problem with the gear box that caused the break of the rear sproket and constrained Colin to retire. It was unfortunet given that he had such a good begining of the race and diserved to get in the points. Claudio on the other hand, right from the start went straight on the first turn and hit the curb causing him to have vibrations. At the end of the race he was getting in very good lap times and managed to get one position away from the points. We have found a good electronics setting and bike setting here in Doha and we hope to get the first points in the following races.?

 

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Double Delight as Yamaha Dominate in Qatar

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo kicked off the defence of his title tonight in the best possible way, delivering a flawless ride under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit to take a perfect victory in the Grand Prix of Qatar. Lorenzo put the hammer down from pole position, taking the hole-shot into turn one and never looking back. He remained untouchable throughout, dispatching the 22 laps in isolation with trademark efficiency to claim his first victory of the season and add 25 Championship points to his 2013 title bid.

Valentino Rossi proved he still hasn?t lost his magic in tonight?s race, thrilling fans with a sensational run to claim second on the podium, completing a Yamaha Factory Racing one-two finish with his teammate Lorenzo. Rossi made sure his first race back with Yamaha was one to be remembered, having started from seventh on the grid he quickly moved up to fourth only to mistime a pass on Andrea Dovizioso and drop back to seventh again. By lap eight he was charging back up the field, closing down a gap of over three seconds to catch the podium battle and join the fight for Qatar honours. The nine-time World Champion dispatched fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow and Honda rival Dani Pedrosa before entering into a fantastic duel with MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez in the final laps for second place. Rossi emerged from the battle the victor, crossing the line in second position just under six seconds behind Lorenzo to take 20 Championship points.
Jorge Lorenzo 1st

?Half an hour before the race I felt a little bit nervous so I had to really concentrate and relax on the grid. I knew it was going to be difficult to open a gap but I had to try, I made a good start and pushed more than 100%. In the beginning it was hard to open the gap as Pedrosa didn?t want to let me get away, he tried to stay with me but after six or seven laps I opened the gap which made me more confident to keep my pace. I?m very happy for Yamaha and happy for Valentino as he has now passed two difficult years.?
Valentino Rossi - and

?I?m more than happy, very happy indeed because it was my dream to come back with Yamaha. To arrive on the podium at the first race was my target from November and I put all my effort to arrive at the maximum here. It was a difficult weekend, especially yesterday in qualifying, but I know I had great pace so I tried to recover in the beginning but I made a mistake and I lost time. I had to do a great second part of the race and step by step I came close to my podium. In the end there was a great battle, especially with Marc for the second place. I?m so happy for me, for my team, for my friends and all my fans who stay with me through two difficult years and also for Yamaha, to start the season with first and second place is not so bad!?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?What a terrific start to the season, we are of course very pleased with the result. There are 17 races to go and it looks like it will be a fantastic season. The first race is always quite important to get a little advantage and have a good feeling. To have your first win for Jorge and of course second with Vale is great for the team and for the spirit because it will be a long season as we know so for everybody it's a big boost. We go to Austin now where we struggled a bit in the test but we have improved the bike already quite a bit. Hopefully we?ll be able to close the gap and have a good race there as well.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?I have to say that this weekend started very well and finished even better. We couldn?t expect anything more. We won the race with a big gap and we finished second with Vale after he made an incredible comeback. I think the team did a really great job since Sepang test one, making the bike better and better and I thin this result is the icing on the cake. Everyone put in a lot of effort so I have to make a big thank you to then all. This is the best way to start the season and we won?t give up to until the end.?

2013 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 02/04/2013
race I
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 42'39.802
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'05.990
3 Marquez Marc Honda ESP 0'06.201
4 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'09.473
5 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'18.764
6 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 0'22.148
7 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 0'24.355
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 0'24.920
9 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 0'37.124
10 Ben Spies Ducati USA 0'44.908
11 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 0'49.809
12 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 0'56.495
13 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'09.599
14 Yonny Hernandez ART COL 1'10.742
15 Hiroshi Aoyama FTR JPN 1'13.600
MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 1 of 18
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 25
2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 20
3. Marquez Marc Honda ESP 16
4. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 13
5. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 11
6. Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 10
7. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 9
8. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 8
9. Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 7
10. Ben Spies Ducati USA 6
11. Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 5
12. Randy De Puniet ART FRA 4
13. Hector Barbera FTR ESP 3
14. Yonny Hernandez ART COL 2
15. Hiroshi Aoyama FTR JPN 1

 

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Honda's Marquez & Pedrosa third and fourth in MotoGP season opener

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) made a stunning MotoGP debut under the Losail floodlights this evening, finishing the race in a fighting third position. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) crossed the line 3.2 seconds behind his team-mate in fourth place.

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) completed the season-opening race in sixth place, while Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) slid off while contesting fifth position.

The race was won by reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, ahead of his Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi.

Marquez and Pedrosa spent much of the race together, chasing Lorenzo who led from start to finish. Marquez ? who afterwards revealed that he was more nervous than ever before the race ? made his move on his team-mate with six laps of the 22 laps remaining. Three laps later it was Marquez?s turn to come under pressure as Rossi came past, having made up for a couple of mistakes he had made in the early stages. The pair stayed locked together during the final few laps, providing a thrilling climax to the race. Marquez refused to give in and fought with his more experienced rival all the way to the finish. At the flag he was just 0.221 seconds behind Rossi. It was a remarkable performance from a rider with zero race experience in the premier class.

Pedrosa came into the race following a strong qualifying performance which followed a difficult first two days of practice. The Spaniard had worked with his crew to fix a lack of rear grip but still struggled with the issue during the race. He rode as hard as he knows how but this time he didn?t have the grip he required to match his rivals.

Bautista had hoped for better than sixth but was forced to ease his pace after a few concerns with front-end feeling into corners. He was the only prototype rider to choose the softer option Bridgestone front slick (all riders ran the harder rear) but this was not enough to give him what he needed to attack the corners with full confidence.

His team-mate Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) had hopes of learning plenty in his first MotoGP race, only to slide off his CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike on the second lap. He was unable to continue and will have to wait for round two at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas to go for his first MotoGP finish.

Bradl was racing with Rossi when he lost the front at Turn Seven on lap nine. He walked away from the tumble unharmed but hugely disappointed. During practice the German had struggled with lack of front-end feeling, but by yesterday evening he seemed to have solved the issue which then mysteriously returned for the race.
The MotoGP World Championship continues with the Grand Prix of the Americas at the new COTA circuit in Austin, Texas, on April 21.



Honda MotoGP rider quotes



Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: 3rd

?To tell the truth, I was pretty nervous on the grid because it was my first MotoGP race. I do not think I?ve ever been so nervous before. I found it hard to keep calm and I was not as focused as I used to be in Moto2. However, I regained my concentration at the last moment. The start was important and we knew that we were taking off from the dirty part of the track. I did not get off well, but I was able to attack on the opening laps and overtake many riders. I think that this was the key. When I rode behind Dani I learnt a lot; also later on with Valentino. Fighting against him is always nice to watch, but it?s always tough at the same time. Valentino was a tough rival to try and overtake on the final laps. He beat us this time, but we hope to learn from him and from everyone who went faster than us.?



Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 4th

?Today?s race was good, in part. I rode strongly and at a good level, although I had to slide around a lot during the entire race to combat a lack of rear grip. I saw from the opening lap that Lorenzo was going much faster and I tried to keep my position, because I knew that in the corners the traction issue came into play. I tried as hard as I could to keep my position, but then Rossi came through at a blistering pace and, to tell the truth, I could not stop him. I did all that I could, but it was not enough. Maybe there was a set-up issue with the rear, because I had problems with it all weekend and we did not have enough grip tonight. In the end I was off the podium, which is a shame considering that we had some good preseason tests and that the set-up was good in those tests. For some reason, it just did not work for us tonight.?



Alvaro Bautista, Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini:

?We had the same problems in the race as we had in practice. I tried to push hard at the start and stay with the lead group but I didn?t have the feeling or stability under braking. I stayed with them for a while but I was taking too many risks so I just had to try and make it to the end and defend my position. We?re hopeful that the problems we have had here, which were also the same problems as last year, are down to the track conditions and won?t be as bad in the coming races. We will keep working, but I am happy with the job the team is doing and I expect us to make big progress in Texas.?


Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini:

?I am disappointed because I didn?t want to finish my MotoGP debut in this way. We made progress throughout practice but then I ruined it all with a stupid crash. I am disappointed for myself and for the team, who have helped me out so much. Hopefully I can make up for it in Texas.?



Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP:

?From the beginning of the race I didn?t have a confident feeling with the front tyre and I had the same issue we had on Friday, probably even worse. The bike didn?t feel so bad in the warm-up session, when I was lapping consistently fast. Unfortunately in the race I could not push the front too hard and so I couldn?t do anything to improve my pace. Rossi passed me and I was not able to follow him because of the issue ? I was losing the front in every corner. Honestly, I didn?t make a mistake, so I cannot exactly explain why I crashed. Now we will check the data together with my technicians.?

Event results - Round 1 - Race 1
1 Jorge Lorenzo 42m39.802s SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Valentino Rossi 5.990 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Marc Marquez 6.201 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Dani Pedrosa 9.473 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Cal Crutchlow 18.764 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Alvaro Bautista 22.148 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
7 Andrea Dovizioso 24.355 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Nicky Hayden 24.920 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
9 Andrea Iannone 37.124 ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
10 Ben Spies 44.908 USA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
11 Aleix Espargaro 49.809 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
12 Randy De Puniet 56.495 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Hector Barbera 1'09.599 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
14 Yonny Hernandez 1'10.742 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
15 Hiroshi Aoyama 1'13.600 JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
16 Claudio Corti 1'29.444 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
17 Michael Laverty 1'34.341 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
18 Lukas Pesek 1'34.683 CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
19 Colin Edwards DNF USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
20 Danilo Petrucci DNF ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
21 Stefan Bradl DNF GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
22 Bradley Smith DNF GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
23 Bryan Staring DNF AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
24 Karel Abraham DNF CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
Championship standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo 25 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Valentino Rossi 20 pts ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Marc Marquez 16 pts ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Dani Pedrosa 13 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Cal Crutchlow 11 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Alvaro Bautista 10 pts SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
7 Andrea Dovizioso 9 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Nicky Hayden 8 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
9 Andrea Iannone 7 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
10 Ben Spies 6 pts USA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
11 Aleix Espargaro 5 pts ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
12 Randy De Puniet 4 pts FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Hector Barbera 3 pts SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
14 Yonny Hernandez 2 pts COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
15 Hiroshi Aoyama 1 pts JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
16 Stefan Bradl 0 pts GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
17 Michael Laverty 0 pts WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
18 Lukas Pesek 0 pts CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
19 Karel Abraham 0 pts CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
20 Danilo Petrucci 0 pts ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
21 Colin Edwards 0 pts USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
22 Claudio Corti 0 pts ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
23 Bryan Staring 0 pts AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
24 Bradley Smith 0 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3