MotoGP Round 01: Qatar Grand Prix

[frostie]

The new MotoGP season starts this weekend with the Qatar GP. Lots of talking points ahead of the weekend with the 1000cc MotoGP machines, CRT bikes on the grid. Moto2 gives us the chance to see if Marquez has recovered and if Elias can recover his form after his MotoGP nightmare. Moto3 replaces the 125cc class......

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In what is sure to be one of the most overused statistics of the week there will be enough lights illuminating the Losail International Circuit this weekend to light a road from Doha to Moscow but the spotlight will shine brightest on a man from a small Australian town.

Casey Stoner will start his defence of his MotoGP crown this weekend with the floodlit Qatar Grand Prix opening the new season. The 2012 season sees tremendous changes sweep through the paddock but most expect a familiar result at the end of the season with Stoner claiming a third title.

A change will you do good….

The MotoGP class will feature a raft of new technical regulations and the introduction of production based bikes to the premier class. The biggest change sees the unloved 800cc era come to an end with one litre power plants set to liven up proceedings once again.

The expectation is that riders will now be able to use more of the track rather than the single, narrow racing line that had become the norm.

With more power riders should be able to square off corners by getting on the power and this should allow different riding styles to once again come to the fore. Riders such as Nicky Hayden lost the ability to brake deep into the corner and try and square off the apex but the American should be much more at home to the new machinery. Likewise the clockwork consistency that has been rewarded so well in recent years with riders having to hit the same braking point lap after lap and therefore making it very difficult to overtake a rival should be replaced with a more traditional style of racing.

The introduction of the Claiming Rule Teams bikes sees production based engines mated with customer chassis in a bid to reduce costs and bolster what had become very sparse grids.

Throughout testing the performance of the CRT bikes has been one of the main topics of conversation. The speed of the bikes has ranged from very impressive to terrible.

Randy de Puniet has impressed everyone with the speed of his ART, in effect a factory Aprilia bike, and has flown in testing and the Frenchman. The ethos of the CRT rules was to add more bikes to the grid but in effect the addition of the ART machine harks back to the days when the field was made up of customer Yamaha machines.

It is certain that the ART will be the pacesetter of the new bikes but the question ahead of the new season is whether de Puniet will be able to challenge the satellite Ducati bikes. For de Puniet testing proved one thing; catching the back end of the MotoGP bikes won’t be the challenge-getting past will be:

“Overtaking will be difficult because of their acceleration,” commented the Frenchman. “What I will need to do is keep following them really closely and hope to push them into a mistake.”

But the main interest of the race leaders is sure to be just how off the pace the tail enders will be and how easy they will be to lap.

Outside of the premier class the biggest story of the weekend is that after 63 years the 125cc has reached retirement age and will be replaced by the Moto3 class. The hope and expectation is that the smallest class will replicate the success of Moto2 and see thrilling racing with numerous riders challenging for wins. The recent seasons of Aspar and Ajo domination are hoped to be cast aside with the class becoming a more equal landscape where financial resources and equipment are less important.

Moto2 will see no changes in the coming year but after two thrilling seasons for the intermediate class that will be just fine!

The Losail International Circuit

Qatar held its first MotoGP in 2004 and since then it has become a permanent fixture on the calendar. While the circuit has failed to win the hearts of local fans, attendance has generally been considerably below 10,000; the organisers have been able to win over Dorna with large cheques and the unique spectacle of night racing.

The circuit measures 5.38km but in all that length there are very few true tests for riders. The majority of the lap is spent short shifting from second to third gear as riders drive out of one bland corner into another. The challenge therefore is find a setup that allows the rider to get on the power smoothly and keep tyre wear to a minimum.

For Bridgestone, the control tyre supplier, Qatar provides a very unique challenge:

“The first race of the season at Qatar presents a unique technical challenge for Bridgestone,” commented Shinji Aoki. “Apart from being the only race on the calendar to be run at night-time which brings with it low track temperatures, the fine desert sand can coat the track surface in a highly abrasive coating. To enable riders to adapt to these variable track conditions, for the first time we are bringing three front tyre compounds to Qatar; soft, medium and hard. The softer compounds work well in the cooler conditions giving riders excellent warm-up performance, while the harder option gives greater durability when the track conditions improve, while also providing greater stability under hard braking.

With the Losail circuit featuring a number of high-speed right hand turns, we have also made available an asymmetric rear tyre. This development sees harder, more durable rubber on the right shoulder of the tyre and softer rubber on the left shoulder to keep the tyre in its optimal operating temperature range and to provide riders with the best combination of grip and durability.”

The main overtaking points are at the end of kilometre long front straight into the second gear first corner. There are also genuine opportunities to pass into the double apex right hander at turn four and five. The other opportune overtaking area is into the slowest corner of the track, turn six.

What to expect in MotoGP

As ever in Qatar, Casey Stoner will start the week as the firm favorite to claim his sixth victory the desert. The reigning world champion has been victorious at Qatar four of the last five years; the only exception being two years ago when he crashed while leading comfortably.

There is little to suggest that Stoner’s dominance will end this weekend with Honda providing him once again with a very fast bike. Last season it was clear that the Repsol rider enjoyed a significant mechanical advantage over Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha and while the margin has closed considerably it hasn’t been by enough to trouble Stoner in his desert playground.

The rest of the season looks like shaping up to be very competitive but anything other than an opening victory by Casey would be a shock. Within the Repsol Honda squad however it is clear that Dani Pedrosa eager to once again reassert himself as a dominant force in the class.

With Pedrosa arriving in the Middle East fresh from his controversial arrest for cheating on a yachtsman exam it is clear that he needs some positive news this weekend. After a year spent being overshadowed by Stoner the Spaniard showed promising form during the winter and a lot of “smart money” is being wagered on him to have a more competitive season.

The new Honda suits him with more power giving him good feedback throughout testing. Even though it is often said that the larger bike will be more difficult for the diminutive Pedrosa to handle he adapted superbly to the 990cc bikes in his first year in the premier class and he should be very competitive this year.

Jorge Lorenzo the 2010 world champion has been very enthusiastic this week saying that his preparations ahead of the new season have been better than ever. Last year even though the Yamaha was completely outperformed by Honda Lorenzo still managed to win races and be Stoner’s closest challenger.

The change in regulations has given Yamaha a new lease on life and it’s clear that Lorenzo is eager to capitalise on that and even though a win in Qatar is probably asking too much, owing to Stoner’s confidence at the track, it is still very likely that come round two at Jerez that Lorenzo will show a turn of speed that will remind everyone of how fast he is.

This weekend however it is unlikely that he will be a match for Stoner. His fellow Yamaha riders Ben Spies and Andrea Dovizioso have tested well with the Italian adapting so well to the Yamaha that many are expecting a factory ride next season could be on the cards….possibly at the expense of Spies.
It is more likely that a factory supported ride with Tech 3 is what will occur but for Dovi is it imperative that he opens the season strongly.

Dovizioso’s teammate at Tech 3 this year will be Cal Crutchlow. The former World Supersport champion had a mixed campaign last year with large periods of mediocrity punctuated by showing an impressive turn of speed. It was clear that he suffered badly following his fractured collarbone at Silverstone but with Bradley Smith already signed for 2013 it is clear that Crutchlow will need to raise his game in the coming season. A top seven finish in Qatar would be a good start.

Marquez the clear favourite in Moto2

The intermediate class sees inaugural Moto2 champion Toni Elias return to Gresini in a bid to reclaim the crown that Stefan Bradl won last year.

Elias struggled in the premier class last year and he is hoping that a return to the class will reinvigorate his career. With Marc Marquez the firm title favourite it is clear that Elias will have his hands full throughout the season but he will also serve as a very accurate yardstick with which to measure the young Spaniards performance this year.

With severe concussion symptoms Marquez would have spent most of the winter in a dark room but at the most recent test he returned to ride and now fully rested and recovered he is sure to be back at his best for Qatar.

Last year Thomas Luthi impressed with an aggression that we hadn’t seen from the Swiss star since his 125cc days and the former champ should be a handful for most of the year. Whether or not he will be able to claim a second title remains to be seen but with his qualifying speed having improved last year he should be in a good position most races.

Even though Moto2 has seen incredibly hard fought races in its two seasons qualifying at the front has been imperative to winning races on a consistent basis. This fact of life in the intermediate class shows no signs of abating in the coming year but for Marquez, a serial front row starter, there would seem to be little standing in his way…

As ever the intermediate class sees tremendous turn over with riders moving from the 125cc class or moving on to the MotoGP/WSBK paddock. This year is no exception with Nico Terol and Johann Zarco moving to the class following their demonization of the smaller class last year.

They are joined on the grid by former WSS racer Gino Rea who has shown promise in the last two years with his aggressive racing but it remains to be seen whether or not be can adjust to the vastly more competitive life on the Grand Prix scene.

Kenan Sofuoglu, one of the best WSS racers of recent years, has struggled to make the transition even though his speed has been in evidence from his debut in Portugal two years ago.

Testing has shown, once again, that Scott Redding should be a factor this weekend but after a mostly disappointing season last year it is clear that he needs to back up his winter form during the season.

Moto3 offers great leveler for young riders

The Moto3 class is impossible to predict because this is its first year but if form is anything to go by Maverick Vinales is surely the man to beat.
Last year the Spaniard claimed four race wins as a rookie and started from pole position on three occasions in one of the most impressive rookie campaigns since Marco Melandri. This year he is a known commodity and earmarked as the man to beat in the inaugural championship.

As ever with preseason it is easy to see one rider head and shoulders above every one else but challengers will present themselves to Vinales with Danny Kent probably the most likely. The Englishman was consistent last year for Ajo and when he had the chance to ride a factory Aprilia he was very competitive.

Jonas Folger, Kent’s teammate, won a rain sodden British Grand Prix last year and the pair look like claiming a host of podiums for the Ajo squad aboard the KTM bikes.
Having seen Vinales have such a successful season rookies are sure to be under increased scrutiny. Romano Fanati is arguably the most hyped of the rookies with the Italian champion showing a blistering turn of speed. Axel Rins is another rookie of whom much is expected.

Whether either of these can show the same initial turn of speed that marked a rider like Scott Redding as a future star; the Englishman started on the front row on his debut, remains to be seen but with the introductory class in a state of flux with the new regulations it is clear that nothing can be discounted for the opening race of the year!

[jhansen]

FP1, Stoner from Lorenzo and Hayden. Yes Hayden. Who was about second quicker than Rossi...

The pace is slow though. Track is very dirty.

And frostie, Sofuoglu is back in WSS. Nice intro though, thanks.

[ghinzani]

Originally Posted by jhansen

And frostie, Sofuoglu is back in WSS. Nice intro though, thanks.

Collecting black flags! (not the punk band)

[SALEEN S7R]

Nice to see a bit of variety so far and not total Honda domination, Lorenzo keeping Stoner pretty honest. Nice to see Crutchlow up there in 6th too, early days but will be interesting to see if he can stay there or even maybe break into the top 5? Have to think that the Ducati at least is beatable..

[jhansen]

I think Cal vs. Dovi will be very interesting to watch this year. If Crutchlow can come out on top (and he has every chance), that will be very good for his standing.

[frostie]

Originally Posted by jhansen

And frostie, Sofuoglu is back in WSS. Nice intro though, thanks.

Oops! Thats a typo clearly! If you take the "has" out of my sentence (I cant edit it anymore) you'll actually see the point I was looking to make being that rather than talking about Sofuoglu I was looking to highlight that for someone like Rea who showed a decent turn of speed in WSS that its going to be very difficult for him in the Moto2 class. Sofuoglu is a somewhat lazy yardstick to measure Rea against given that they both came to Moto2 from WSS but you gotta use someone as a comparison at times!

Todays sessions seemed pretty good from what Ive read; Ive a poor internet connection where I am and wont see anything until Sunday. Just out of curiousity why was there such a difference between Rossi and Hayden? Was Nicky on the soft compound and VR on the harder? Or was it just a case of a dirty track and Rossi holding back slightly?

[frostie]

Originally Posted by jhansen

I think Cal vs. Dovi will be very interesting to watch this year. If Crutchlow can come out on top (and he has every chance), that will be very good for his standing.

Im curious to know what everyone thinks of Crutchlow.

Personally Ive never been a big fan of his but I did enjoy watching him on a Superbike. I thought he was very underwhelming last year. He started the year well but it really seemed that the Silverstone crash knocked him back a lot. I know he broke his collarbone and its not an easy injury to ride with but I always got the feeling that there was something lacking from him from that point onwards.

I was in the Silverstone and Valencia paddocks and I couldnt get over how different Cal was at the two races. It really seemed that the season took its toll on him emotionally as well as physically. He seemed really confident at Silverstone and almost seemed to be in a shell by the time we got to Valencia. I know he took the rookie of the year crown...but beating Abraham to take that award on the last lap of the season on a much better bike doesnt amount to much of a year.

Maybe the change to the new regs will help him, it certainly seemed that way in testing. Id love it if he had a good year because it would be great for the sport in the UK but I cant see how he will be able to hold onto the Tech 3 ride without completely blowing Dovi away given that Bradley Smith is already signed

[jhansen]

Originally Posted by frostie

Just out of curiousity why was there such a difference between Rossi and Hayden? Was Nicky on the soft compound and VR on the harder? Or was it just a case of a dirty track and Rossi holding back slightly?

Ducati press release says Hayden ran a soft tire for his last laps while Rossi ran the same set of tires (hard) for the entire session. Clearly Hayden's relative pace is a bit optimistic...

[frostie]

Originally Posted by jhansen

Ducati press release says Hayden ran a soft tire for his last laps while Rossi ran the same set of tires (hard) for the entire session. Clearly Hayden's relative pace is a bit optimistic...

Cheers, absolute pain not being able to watch/stream (especially for the first race of the year!) it but the connection is terrible here so nothing i can do other than use twitter and here to keep up to date until the raceday

[Hazza]

Those new bikes look hideously slow. Reminds me of the good old days: a few competitive bikes, a bunch of satellite bikes and then a bunch of rubbish bringing up the rear.

[jhansen]

Stoner fastest and just into the 1:55's. Lorenzo about 2 tenths back. Then it's Dovi and Spies about 7 tenths back. Other interesting things to watch: Bradl is quicker than Bautista at the moment; Hayden is still quicker than Rossi; the top 12 spots are still filled by the factory/satelite bikes; and Edwards was quickest CRT this session.

[ghinzani]

Wheres the competition? Im gonna whip some behinds this year, if I remember to set my clock...

[jhansen]

So last year in qualifying, the gap from first to last was 3.855 seconds (ie no CRTs).

Right now it's a gap of 6.152 seconds from Stoner to Ellison. But if you leave Ellison out, the gap is 4.8 seconds from Stoner to Silva (2nd to last). I don't think the gap is as bad as people feared. And when you consider that this track is a horsepower track, it's a bit more encouraging.

[jhansen]

Originally Posted by ghinzani

Wheres the competition? Im gonna whip some behinds this year, if I remember to set my clock...

I'll give schummy till mid day, if no thread I'll post it up.

[SALEEN S7R]

Interesting so far, didnt expect to see a Yamaha setting the pace and definately didnt expect to see Crutchlow in 2nd! Will be interesting to see whether or not Stoner can drag enough speed out of the Honda to beat the Yamaha's tommorow, both he and Lorenzo are going to be battling all season long I think.

[Schummy]

It's just hours before the races and I would want to share some thoughts that surely will be smashed during those races. Lol, what's the point of posting here if one doesn't become ridiculously wrong?

First thought is for Rossi. Yesterday Dennis Noyes was was saying we cannot go on more time ignoring the fact that Vale is plainly and painly slow. No more excuses, no more "he is testing new bikes", no more "he has not forget to ride". This qualy he has been grotesque, no more, no less. The point now is, what is happening in VR's mind? Is he recoverable? Has he some chance to become... a contender this season??

Second thought for Pedrosa. Last season he was shattered by Stoner... in a 800cc. He is physically weak so he has trouble with a big bike. I think this is going to be a hard season for him. Don't forget he was considering retirement while recovering from one of his unfortunate injuries...

Last thought for contenders. I think everyone is talking about Stoner and Lorenzo as the true contenders. I agree. At the moment Casey is miles ahead of the others Honda. In Yamaha's , Lorenzo is well ahead of Spies, who has not yet arrived to alien status. I tend to think Crutchlow's excellent qualy is more a fluke than a pattern, but who knows? I expected Dovi to be the main rider in the team. Frankly I don't see Tech3 winning the title, anyway :-) . So it's Lorenzo-Stoner fro me, in that order, with a remote Spies as dark horse. Much of the title will be decided by who has the tech advantage between Yamaha and Honda, I think.

Lol, a final last thought for CRT... I reminds me of the days of F1's turbos vs atmos, they were two categories, really, and FIA gave a "title" for the first atmo :-S . But it was a situation created naturally by the existant rules, not something created by FIA. There are only 12 real MotoGP bikes, and FIM is very worried by that. I understand it is a very bad image on TV, broadcasting the failure of the premium bike category in the world. But CRT is a fake way to solve it, it is more or less like the fake tanks used by Montgomery in the WWII to impress the Germans, except this time we know they are fake ;-). They are about 2 seconds away, and the last riders are... "unimpressive". Perhaps in future races CRT becomes more meaningful, let's see.

[Ultimo]

No Moto3 thread? What a great race. Props to the first two finishers, and an awesome 7 way battle for third.

Excited for the other two races today!

[chunder]

Hilarious, watching the Moto2 race.

Marquez simpkly pulls out and overtakes people before he even gets off the excit of the bend, such is his weight advantage.

Pathetic really, and I imagine the minimum weight wont be brought in of course until he wins the championship.

Joke, total joke.

[ghinzani]

Marquez move was out of order. Agree with Chunder about weight limits.

[Dani Filth]

shame .. cause the race wasn't bad .. but the result was kinda known
you could've read it from the faces of Luthi's pit team 2-3 laps from the end

and a point chunder was making last season .. he should be in MotoGP already . a CRT bike .. a sattelite bike .. something
there is absolutely no point in sticking in Moto2 this year
Melandri moved to 250 even if he didn't win 125

[Dani Filth]

MotoGP was better than i thought it would be.
I must be loosing my mind but I was cheering on Lorenzo, the unlike of him is starting to disappear.
still hate the monster baseball hat .. bleah .

[SALEEN S7R]

Quite a boring Moto GP race today I thought, wasnt really much overtaking throughout the race and the result was decided in the final few laps. Good to see Lorenzo showing that the Repsol Hondas are beatable though, nice too to see Crutchlow beating Dovi in the opening round of the season, makes you wonder what he could be capable of on a factory bike.

[Schummy]

I would agree on weight limits if they used a height handicap in basket or a weight limit in rugby or every limit in athletics . But currently you have to use your physical strength or your physical lightness to ride those bikes in the best way possible.

Weight handicaps/limits have advantages and disadvantages but, certainly the lack of handicaps or limits is not outrageous.

[Truenorth]

Weight limits? A bit tough on we Smoke fans, eh?

Great day's night of racing at Losail.

The Moto1's were awesome! I just loved the look of surprise on that Italian boy's face! 50hp singles - wow!

Moto2 race was coloured by one rider following his "Marquez of Queensbury" fairness rules application. I expect to see quite a few elbows flying in the next event.

Moto3 was awesome. Yes, not much passing, but lots of thinking. Stoner was thinking about the field catching him up. Lorenzo was thinking about riding smart on a strong bike. The Yamahama team's victory celebration was heart-warming. F1 drivers would merely nod and head for their jets. Hayden was thinking about just how many ups and downs he could have in one race.

The CRTs had a great day and are no doubt causing both some head scratching and some wallet waving. I favour uniting MotoGP and WSBK. We don't need a separate series for every two race teams in the world.

[chunder]

Oops True, seems you have your 1's and 3's mixed up there buddy!

Weight limits have been in place on 125's Moto3 for 20 years, so no real issue with them being involved with Moto2. But as I say it wont happen until Marquez wins the title as he is Spanish and the series is designed around him winnin that title.

You have to have something when the bikes all have the same engine and weights. Someone like Redding must suffer at least a 1 or 2 bhp per ton disadvantage over Marquez, and I would suggest he is not that much slower, but the way Marc just pulls out before he even gets a tow just takes the mickey.

Makes the class look unbalanced when noone else can do it, he already has more money, the best bikes, the best chassis (even within Suter) and the best engines.

Does he really need any more advantages?