Bastianini takes emotional win for Gresini
MOTOGP LOSAIL (QAT) 6 MARCH ROUND 1/21
The history of the Gresini Racing squad is one of immense highs set to a backdrop of heartbreaking tragedy. In 2003, in the opening round of the season at Suzuka, Gresini rider Daijiro Kato suffered an accident that would eventually claim his life. In 2011 Marco Simoncelli suffered fatal injuries in a Malaysian Grand Prix crash. And, at the start of 2021, Gresini Racing’s talismanic founder, double 125cc world champion Fausto Gresini, died after a battle with COVID-19.
Just weeks earlier he’d announced his plans to break ties with Aprilia and return to running a true satellite team in Motogp. With his wife Nadia Padovani taking over at the helm of the squad, it forged ahead with its 2022 plans. And last Sunday at the season-opening Qatar GP, Enea Bastianini guided his 2021-spec Ducati to an emotional maiden victory in Motogp.
Bastianini’s racecraft had gained him two podiums in his debut season aboard the Avintia-run 2019-spec Ducati, and a strong pre-season on the fully developed 2021 Desmosedici had many tipping the Italian for big things this year.
The 24-year-old Italian qualified a career-best second, but his victory battle was still tough, the race very much an open affair. Despite mediocre qualifying positions in eighth and 10th, Suzuki duo Joan Mir and Alex Rins had shown pace strong enough to strike some fear into their rivals for Sunday. And although 11th was a disappointing position to start from, Yamaha’s reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo was still expected to be a contender for the race.
Then there were the question marks surrounding the 2022 Ducatis. Jack Miller was fourth, 2021 runner-up Francesco Bagnaia ninth. Both are running hybrid 2021/22 engines this year, while poleman Jorge Martin on the Pramac Ducati is on the full 2022-spec machine. Qatar had been such a happy hunting ground for Ducati in the past that it was almost a certainty that its factory runners would be in the mix.
The Losail track has not been the most fruitful of places for Honda, but the new RC213V helped Marc Marquez to third on the grid, while Pol Espargaro cut a happy figure in sixth. Throw in strong showings from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and KTM’S Brad Binder, and it was a case of picking a name out of a hat to decide on a pecking order.
Many predicted the race to be run at a slow pace and with a big group forming early on, because tyre conservation would be crucial to deciding the outcome. The race ended up 11 seconds faster than the 2021 Doha GP, catching a few out – not least long-time leader Pol Espargaro, who grabbed the holeshot from team-mate Marquez and headed the pack for 18 tours.
Both Repsol Hondas had gone with the soft/soft tyre combination, which ultimately faded in the closing stages. Bastianini made a late call to switch to the medium rear and this would ultimately prove inspired.
After Espargaro had broken away by over
a second on lap 13, Bastianini dispatched second-placed Binder and eroded the Honda rider’s lead. And approaching Turn 1 as they finished lap 18 of 22, the Gresini Ducati scythed past to take a lead it would never relinquish. It was an “unexpected” result for the Italian, but one that carried great significance to many within the Gresini camp and the wider Motogp paddock.
Binder gave a good charge on the last lap to shadow him by 0.346s, but had to settle for second. Given KTM’S best result in Qatar before last Sunday was an eighth, the Austrian marque is clearly heading in the right direction after a difficult 2021.
The same can be said of Honda, with Espargaro claiming that his third place proves HRC now has a bike someone other than Marquez can win on. Marquez was a satisfied fifth as he continues to learn the new bike, with Aleix Espargaro fourth, and believing he can fight on the Aprilia.
Rear-grip issues for Mir and front-tyre problems for Rins meant sixth and seventh was all that the Suzukis could manage. Pramac’s Johann Zarco was top 2022-spec Ducati rider in eighth, while Bagnaia crashed into Martin on lap 12 while recovering from 16th following a poor start. Miller dropped out with technical issues.
“Worried” world champion
Quartararo’s winter unhappiness with his Yamaha package remains, and fronttyre-pressure issues meant his title defence kicked off with a meek ninth.