Vinales wins season-opener Qatar MotoGP

SPAIN’S Maverick Vinales on a Yamaha won a dramatic season-opening Qatar MotoGP night race on Sunday, finally beating off Andrea Dovizioso after the pair swapped the lead several times over the final seven laps.

The 22-year-old Vinales, who took all the headlines in preseason testing as well as practice in Qatar, shrugged off a poor start from pole position under the desert floodlights to win and further enhance his growing reputation.

“It feels great,” he said immediately afterwards. “Honestly, the track was so difficult. I was taking so much care at the start.

“Anyway, the bike was great. I have to say thanks to the team. Even if the conditions were difficult we were there all the time.”

Vinales triumphed in a race reduced to 20 laps after rain and a wet track had delayed the start by 45 minutes and in a high-quality field which included 10 world champions.

In fact, the organisers were extremely lucky as the heavens again opened up immediately after the race ended in a weekend dominated by wet weather in Qatar, one which saw qua lif y ing ca ncel led on Sat urday because of thunderstorms.

Dov i z ioso on a Ducati f inished a deter mined r unn e r - u p , w h i l e n i n e - t i me w o r l d champion Valentinoo Rossi took t hird on n t he second factor y Yamaha despite havving started in 10th place on t he grid.

“It was very difficult,”ficult,” said Dovizioso. “We knew ew the race couldn’t be so fast.t. At some points I tried to stay with Maverick until the end. I tried to overtake him on the e last lap but he was too far.” Rossi said: “I don’t know what happened but I was good. “I was good in braking. I hope we understand enough in this race to continue in this way.” Defending w world champion Marc Marquez, whow had made it clear before t he race he would be happy with a podium finish, w was just edged out i into fourt h place on a Ho Honda. Vi Vinales looked to have blow blown his chances early on after his poor start. The e ar l y leader was France France’s Johann Zarco, who on his MotoGP debut riding a Yamah Yamaha Tech3, dominated the early laps taking a lead of more th than a second into the sixth lap lap, before dramatically crashing out unchallenged at the head of the race. But Vin Vinales (pictured with the trophy, AFP) always stayed in contention and with seven laps to go was on the wheel of leader Italian Dovizioso.

His nimble Yamaha was enough to ensure he took the lead with a third of the race left but Dovizioso was far from finished.

There then followed a fascinating race of cat and mouse as Dovizioso regained his lead several times on his faster Ducati.

Adding more drama, 38-year-old veteran Rossi was always in touch and threatened to pull off a memorable victory. But with two laps to go, Vinales finally took a decisive lead of over half a second and held on for victory.

Also crashing out were Italian Andrea Iannone, who left the race at the halfway mark while in third position, and Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, an early faller.

It is the 14th time the race has been held in Qatar, the 10th time under floodlights. The racers now head to Argentina for the next race on April 9.