MotoGP caravan readies itself for Losail opener

(Clockwise from top left) The likes of Yamaha MotoGP rider and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo of Spain, Honda rider Marc Marquez of Spain, Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy and Repsol Honda team MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa of Spain will fight it out for the 2013 MotoGP title. (AFP)

Sports Reporter/Doha

Yamaha Factory Racing’s reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo will have a tough task ahead defending his title this year, not only facing tough competition from Repsol Honda Team rival Dani Pedrosa, but also from an in-form returning teammate Valentino Rossi. With an exciting rookie Marc Márquez in the mix, who has already shown potential on his Repsol Honda, the season is set for some fantastic battles.

The satellite Yamaha and Honda contingent is also looking stronger than ever after some highly competitive pre-season testing, where Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow ended the final Jerez test on top.

His fellow countryman and rookie teammate Bradley Smith has already shown he is adapting well to his M1, whilst LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, last season’s Rookie of the Year, looks set to be fighting for podium positions from the word go.

Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, who hurt his fingers in a crash in Jerez, will also be the one to watch in Qatar, as he looks to have found some favourable settings on his RC213V.

The Ducati Team may not have lit up the pre-season after its management reshuffle, yet has arguably made some very big strides following a very tough first 2013 test.

Factory riders Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso will line up on the new Desmosedici  and will hope to build on the progress the bike has seen in recent times. Their satellite riders, Ignite Pramac’s Ben Spies and Energy T.I.’s Andrea Iannone, both on factory bikes, could prove a threat, as the Italian has proven capable of some strong performances, whilst Spies is yet to show his full potential due to a recovering shoulder injury.

One of the big changes this year, is the brand-new qualifying format. The timesheets of the three practice sessions will be combined, from which the ten quickest riders will immediately pass through to Q2. Prior to that, the rest of the field will contest Q1 in order to fill grid positions 13 and downwards; the best two riders in Q1 will be awarded an entrance to Q2, providing a top-12 showdown for the first pole position of the year.

In Moto2, one of the favourites is the in-form Tuenti HP 40 rider Pol Espargaró. The hard-chargers in Moto3 will descend on Qatar for only the second time since the class’ introduction last year, and will arrive with yet further promise and high expectations.