MotoGP Qatar Results 2013
Sunday, April 07, 2013
By Bart Madson www.motorcycle-usa.com
Jorge Lorenzo got his
MotoGP title defense off to the dominating start with a flag-to-flag victory at
Qatar. The Factory Yamaha man led from pole position onward, without any true
challenge. Yet it was his factory Yamaha teammate, Valentino Rossi, and Repsol Honda rookie, Marc Marquez, that
stole the show with a thrilling battle in the final two laps. Experience won
out, with Rossi delivering Yamaha the 1-2 finish and Marquez marking his MotoGP debut with a memorable podium
finish. Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Tech 3 Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow rounded out
the top five.
Lorenzo shot out to the early lead and was comfortable up front. The running
order settled in with the Repsol Hondas two seconds adrift and Crutchlow
threatening Marquez for the final rostrom position. Rossi had to work up
through the ranks, however, having started on the third row.
Behind the podium fight there was a good scrap brewing as LCR Honda’s Stefan
Bradl held fifth, with Rossi in sixth and more than five seconds behind his Factory
Yamaha teammate. Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso had his sights on his popular
countryman, with Alvaro Bautista and Nicky Hayden also in the group.
The Doctor made his move around the German on Lap 6 and then had four seconds
to make up in order to catch Crutchlow for fourth – which he did in the middle
laps.
Lorenzo increased his advantage at the front, while Marquez stalked his HRC
teammate, Pedrosa, for second. Crutchlow threatened in fourth, trailing the
Hondas. Meanwhile Rossi began inching closer to the satellite M1 as the race
approached the halfway marker.
The latter half saw Lorenzo’s advantage grow further. The real fight was over
the final podium spots, with Pedrosa and Marquez holding position as Crutchlow
lurked in fourth and Rossi accordioned up from fifth to challenge the Tech 3
rider.
Marquez was first to make his play up the inside of Pedrosa. As the rookie made
a slight gap, Rossi got right up on Cruchlow and charged past on the long
straight, with the Brit bailing on the corner. Crutchlow managed to keep his M1
upright and rejoined in fifth, but well out of the podium hunt.
With four to go Rossi lined up Pedrosa. Blitzing by the first Honda, he moved
on to challenge Marquez. The next lap saw the nine-time champion get around the
rookie, for a Factory Yamaha 1-2 running order.
But the maneuver would not go unchallenged. On the penultimate lap Marquez
zipped past on Turn 1, with Rossi responding immediately with a pass of his
own. The final lap saw Marquez try again, but without effect on Turn 1. He made
another charge at the start-finish straight, but was 0.211 short at the line.
Pedrosa dropped off the pace at the end, three seconds down to his younger
teammate. Meanwhile Crutchlow recovered from his off-road excursion to finish
fifth, four seconds ahead of Alvaro Bautista. Dovizioso got the better of his
new factory Ducati teammate, Nicky Hayden, with the satellite Pramac Ducatis
running ninth and 10th with Andrea Iannone and Ben Spies.
Once again Aspar rider Aleix Espargaro proved himself the top of the CRT class.
Of the remaining factory prototypes, both suffered DNFs. First down was Tech 3
Yamaha’s Bradley Smith, his rough rookie debut ending on Lap 4. The second
factory casualty was Bradl, who tucked the front of his LCR Honda on Lap 8.
2013 MotoGP Qatar Results:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
3. Marc Marquez (Honda)
4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
5. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha)
6. Alvaro Bautista (Honda)
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati)
8. Nicky Hayden (Ducati)
9. Andrea Iannone (Ducati)
10. Ben Spies (Ducati)
11. Aleix Espargaro (Aspar)
12. Randy de Puniet (Aspar)
13. Hector Barbera (Avintia
Blusens)
14. Yonny Hernandez (PBM)
15. Hiroshi Aoyama (Avintia Blusens)
16. Claudio Corti (Forward Racing)
17. Michael Laverty (PBM)
18. Lukas Pesek (Came IodaRacing)
DNF Colin Edwards (Forward Racing)
DNF Danilo Petrucci (Came IodaRacing)
DNF Stefan Bradl (Honda)
DNF Bradley Smith (Yamaha)
DNF Bryan Staring (Gresini Honda)
DNF Karel Abraham (Cardion AB)
