A champ like no other: Valentino Rossi. Pictures: Noushad Thekkayil and Reuters
By Mikhil Bhat/Losail
Seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi won the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar for the first time since 2010 holding off the blistering Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso by a little under two hundredths of a second at the floodlit Losail International Circuit yesterday.
The Movistar Yamaha rider started the race in eighth position, fell to 10th briefly, before working his way up to fourth behind the two Ducatis and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, and then to a victory over the last two laps.
Dovizioso’s team-mate Andrea Iannone completed the podium, while Lorenzo was fourth ahead of Repsol Honda’s defending champion Marc Marquez.
Marquez, who started third behind Dovizioso and team-mate Dani Pedrosa, went wide on the first turn of the opening lap and never recovered enough to challenge for a podium finish despite making up 20-odd places. This is the first time since his 2013 German GP win at Sachsenring that Marquez is not on top of the championship standings.
“I have said this before but for me this is one of the best wins,” Rossi said after the race. “We did a great job in the practice. My bike was fantastic.”
On his move up through the top ten, Rossi said, “Step by step, I made up places. I tried not to give up. After getting close to Ducatis and Jorge it was very difficult but in some places I was very strong and very good in the line. I am so happy for my team Yamaha and all the guys.”
In parc ferme, the win evoked a child-like joy in 36-year-old Rossi, who did everything from licking a television camera to jumping over the barricades on his team members.
Dovizioso’s pole position effort put him in the thick of things at the top along with Lorenzo, who moved up from sixth position on the grid to fight for the lead even as the two Hondas fell back in the opening moments of the race.
Later, the top four of Dovizioso, Lorenzo, Rossi and Iannone traded places at frantic pace providing some really amazing racing moments. The winged Desmosedici GP15 was especially fast on the home straight giving the Ducati duo fantastic opportunities to overtake their rivals.
Lorenzo missed out on a third Qatar MotoGP win, having won the race in 2012 and 2013 but crashing out on the opening lap last year.
“I am just really happy to come back and fight for the victory,” said Dovizioso, who, along with Iannone, gave Ducati their first podium finish at the 5.38km Losail circuit since Casey Stoner’s win in 2009.
“The last lap I pushed really hard but I didn’t have any more grip. The bike was on the edge and it was impossible to try and attack Valentino. Anyway, second position in the first race is a good start.”
A drained Iannone, who made it to the podium for the first time since moving up to the MotoGP class in 2013, said, “I want to thank the Ducati guys because this weekend their work was incredible. I am really really happy.”
RESULTS AND STANDINGS
MOTOGP RESULTS (TOP TEN)
1. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 42'35.717
2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) +0.174
3. Andrea Iannone (Ducati) +2.250
4. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) +2.707
5. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +7.036
6. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) +10.755
7. Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda) +12.384
8. Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) +12.914
9. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) +13.031
10. Yonny Hernandez (Pramac Ducati) +17.435
MOTOGP STANDINGS (TOP FIVE)
1. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 25
2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 20
3. Andrea Iannone (Ducati) 16
4. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) 13
5. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 11
