Lorenzo leads Spanish charge to grab Qatar pole

What do you need for an exciting race? You want the main contenders to be right up front, fighting each other for the win. And that’s exactly what we have in store for the MotoGP season opener in Qatar!
Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo produced a great lap five minutes into the final qualifying session at the Losail Circuit, which gave him the pole position. The defending champion is in prime position to start the season with a win. But it won’t be an easy task because right behind him is Honda’s Marc Marquez. In third place, and ensuring a front row full of Spaniards, is Suzuki’s Maverick Vinales, who produced a great final lap to claim that spot.
Andrea Iannone, who topped two of the four practice sessions, was pushed down to fourth as a result of Vinales’ last lap effort. And the eternal crowd favourite, Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, also gave it the full beans in the final lap to jump up from 10th to fourth. Completing the second row is Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso. After a Spaniard front row, you have three Italians in the second!
Today’s battle promises to be tantalising and Lorenzo will be hoping that he gets a good start. This is the Spaniard’s record 36th MotoGP pole and the Yamaha rider was happy to start the season on the front foot. “I am happy to start the championship in pole position. I’m glad to be the man with the most pole positions in the history of the championship. The competition has been running for so many years so it’s a great feeling,” said Lorenzo after qualifying yesterday.
2014 MotoGP champion, Marquez doesn’t believe that Losail Circuit is suited for his Honda but his starting position on the grid gives him a great chance for a win today. In fact, Marquez set the fastest time during the final qualifying session but it came after the chequered flag. “The funny thing is that I didn’t see the flag in the last lap. I did one more lap at 100 percent and I thought I got the pole position. But that lap wasn’t within the time. I am happy with the result and the bike,” said Marquez yesterday.
The 23-year-old had a big moment when he was doing a practice start when his bike suddenly veered to the left as his front wheel touched the track. But he was able to wrestle back control after a brief run through the gravel. “We have some issues with the front brakes which caused that incident but we will try to resolve it before the race starts,” said Marquez.
As for Vinales, this is his second front row start in MotoGP and the Spaniard is keen to deliver a good result during the race. “I am going to try to do well in the race. We know it’s going to be difficult. I am feeling good on the bike and I also believe that I can go down in the lap time. I will try my best to get a good result in the race,” said Vinales after a great qualifying run yesterday.
Earlier in the first qualifying session, Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith topped the charts to earn progress to the final qualifying session. Crutchlow gained two places during Q2 and will start the race in 10th.
Vinales will have to produce a strong race to be able to hold off the likes of Iannone, Rossi, Dovizioso and also Pedrosa lining up behind him. The Ducati of Iannone has the fastest straight-line speed and Vinales could be losing his spot by the end of the first lap if he’s not careful.
Rossi, who has recently signed a two-year extension with Yamaha, will be keen to show that he still can fight for the title. And his fourth place start puts him in a good position to follow the leaders and then make his move towards the end of the race.
With this being the first race for the Michelin tyres, all riders will be anxious to see how they last the distance.
With all the usual suspects lined up at the front, the 2016 Qatar MotoGP race promises to deliver an exciting start to the season. Game on!