IT’S SHOWTIME
DORNAMOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The flag dropped, the talking stopped and the 2018 MotoGP season opener in Qatar served up an exquisite symphony for the senses.
The tone for race day was set with an astonishing qualifying session. Prior to qualifying, all the smart money for pole had been on last year’s title runner up, Andrea Dovizioso. He appeared to have a reserve of half a second in the bank whenever he needed it. He was, however, only able to manage a relatively lowly fifth. In the event, the top 12 riders were all within a second of the slightly unexpected, but sublimely smooth Frenchman, Johann Zarco, taking his third career Pole for Tech3. We've become accustomed to close qualis in the past but this one was particularly remarkable. Not least because the top three riders completely obliterated Jorge Lorenzo’s 10-year-old lap record of 1’53.927. Zarco's blistering new lap record of 1’53.680 shaded out reigning champ Marc Marquez and Danilo Petrucci who took the other spots on the front row.
The race itself was not short on entertainment. Zarco was his usual cool self, leading what was a large front group well into the second half of the race. Eventually, the lead group began to dissipate. Alex Rins and Jorge Lorenzo both binned it on lap 13 in completely unconnected incidents. Rossi, Marquez, Crutchlow, Petrucci and Pedrosa exchanged numerous blows.
Maverick Viñales got his head down and bridged a few gaps to ultimately finish in a credible sixth after a mare of a qualifying which put him 12th on the grid. The real hero of the day though was unquestionably Dovizioso. He had a pretty poor start, getting shuffled back to ninth early on lap 1. Did he panic? Dovi 2.0 doesn’t panic. He knew he had everything to be there at the end of the race so he simply did what Dovi does. He applied logic (as much logic as it’s possible to apply when doing 210mph).
He hunkered down and set about his business, staying in the midst of the lead group and saving his front tyre. Before you knew it, he had snuck his way up to second and soon disposed of Zarco whose tyres were, by now, screaming ‘Enough!’ He took Marquez and Rossi along with him to set up the final turn finale. While Dovi was looking the model of composure, Marquez was wrestling his Repsol Honda, fearlessly squeezing every ounce of performance out of it. We all knew what was coming on the last lap... but so did Dovi. So when the inevitable, last ditch, move from Marquez came, Dovi dispatched it in customarily cool fashion, despite Marquez being much closer to pulling it off than his efforts in Austria and Japan last season.
The Honda had no hope of out-dragging the 'Beast of Bologna' to the line and Dovi took it by 0.027s. The eternally youthful Rossi took the last podium spot, finishing just 0.797s behind Dovizioso. It was a pretty good weekend for Rossi, a two year contract extension was announced on Thursday and he had a spring in his step all weekend with seemingly renewed confidence in the 2018 Factory Yamaha Package.
He might be ageing but there's no sign of slowing from the GOAT, who refuses to be ruled out as a genuine title contender.
NEXT ROUND Argentina, Termas de Río Hondo: April 6-8.