WHAT A RACE!
Viñales edges Qatar GP Rossi fights back Dovi’s last-lap drama
Maverick Viñales – the rider named after the character from TopGun – has already dominated winter testing and now he’s out-gunned his rivals in the tense and thrilling first race of the 2017 MotoGP season under the floodlights at Qatar. The 22-year-old factory Yamaha man silenced his doubters to deliver exactly what he promised in pre-season testing. He took a stunning race victory after soaking up pressure from both his title rivals and the weather conditions to take a brilliant win and prove beyond doubt he has the ability and mentality to live up to the hype. Topping all four official pre-season tests and starting Sunday’s race from pole for the very first time, there’s no doubting the massive pressure that was placed on his youthful shoulders – but that wasn’t enough to slow down Yamaha’s new signing. The second-youngest rider on the grid dealt with the pressure cooker atmosphere caused when poor weather saw the start of the race delayed multiple times. But that wasn’t enough to put him off as he picked his way through the field from a sensible start to overtake Ducati star Andrea Dovizioso on the last lap. Speaking to MCN, the Spaniard said: “I was so nervous at the start, because it was rain then no rain, and we went out on the track and some turns were completely wet. It was hard to get focused in the opening laps. “It was a different type of pressure, but it forces you to push yourself over the edge. You give extra, the sort of extra you can only give when you’re motivated to win. When it began to rain, I did start to panic, and the first few laps were difficult, but when I got my own pace and focused I was able to save the tyre to the end of the race.” And with that focus in place, Viñales was able to use the ultra-consistent pace that he perfected during the test at the Losail circuit two weeks before the race to hunt down his opposition, closing in on first title rival Marc Marquez and then race leader Andrea Dovizioso with a series of metronomic laps. “The track was quite slippery and I couldn’t make up speed in the corners – I went off the track one time in the early laps. I had to concentrate, and step by step I recovered my confidence. By the time I reached Marquez, I knew it was time to push, to catch Dovi and see what would happen. “I didn’t know how to pass him, but finally we had a great battle and I’m so pleased with the Yamaha. I knew that if I didn’t pull a little bit of a lead he would pass me, because he was so fast
‘I was trying to be smooth. It’s like a dream and I can’t ask for more’ MAVERICK VIÑALES
on the straights and in some sectors.” He silenced some of the MotoGP doubters who seemed keen to point out that he had only one a single race previously and that racing is different to testing. He said: “I was just trying to be smooth and finally I managed to do that. It’s like being in a dream, and I can’t ask for more.”