How did it all shake out in Qatar for the inaugural race of the 2016 MotoGP? Pretty much as one might have expected with perhaps the exception being Ducati rider Andrea Iannone being a DNF due to a crash. With that exception the top finisher – with slight adjustment in placing- remained the same as the race in 2015. To quote the Pet Shop Boys from back in the 1980s, the hard or soft option – in this case in terms of tires – is given both blame and credit for the finishes of some riders.
Below the race results are the post race blurb from most of those fellows.
The next stop for Round 2 is will be the race in Argentina on April 3.
ROUND ONE RESULTS
Riders
1 LORENZO, Jorge 99 Pts. 25 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
2 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea 4 Pts.20 Ducati Team
3 MARQUEZ, Marc 93 Pts. 16 Repsol Honda Team
4 ROSSI, Valentino 46 Pts. 13 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
5 PEDROSA, Dani 26 Pts.11 Repsol Honda Team
Teams
1 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Pts. 38
2 Repsol Honda Team Pts. 27
3 Ducati Team Pts. 20
4 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Pts.17
5 Team Suzuki Ecstar Pts.15
MOTOGP ROUND 1 POST RACE BLURBS
1: JORGE LORENZO
“We are there, in first position, without struggling and suffering and riding in the perfect way. For me, over all laps, this race has been one of the best of my whole career and that was why I was able to win and could make this little difference in the last three laps that gave me the victory. It was a little down and up with the tyres. We made the decision to put on the soft rear tyre, because with the hard one we couldn‘t be so fast. The harder compound should become better and better, but I think what happened was the opposite. The softer tyre should get worse and worse, but it was faster and faster so this little difference was the difference between me and Dovizioso and Marquez. I was surprised how fast my pace was towards the end of the race. I was sliding so much, but at the same time I was very smooth and concentrated and made no mistakes and that‘s why even with the pressure from Dovizioso, when I was at a margin of 0.4, .03, 0.5, I didn‘t get nervous and kept riding better and better. I feel very proud of my riding and my race and also the work of the team, because we put together the electronics and the setting of the bike in a very good way.”
3: MARC MARQUEZ
“I’m happy with this third place because I know that we gave our all and just two weeks ago we were one second off the pace compared to the other guys on the podium. I want to thank Honda and my team for all the hard work they are doing. The race was faster than we expected and we had a great weekend, because we got 100% out of our performance at a circuit that we find hard. I spent much of the race behind Dovizioso because I couldn’t pass him, and it was difficult to make up the ground lost with his better acceleration on the straight. Whenever I got close, I’d lose him again. Although I knew it would be difficult, I made another attempt with 4 laps remaining -but he overtook me on the last lap. I tried again in the last corner but it wasn’t possible. I hope that the circuits coming up on the calendar favour us a little more.”
4: VALENTINO ROSSI
At the end it was a great race, the pace was very fast from the beginning to the end, but unfortunately I stayed behind and I didn‘t have enough speed to try and attack. I was there but I was never in the real fight, I was always a little bit behind. We need a faster pace and maybe the tyre choice can make some difference, but we don‘t know. Maybe with the soft tyre I could go faster or I could go slower. We arrived behind and unfortunately didn‘t get on the podium, but it was a good race anyway, with a good start. We are there, we have to work, but for sure we are competitive. Last year in Argentina was a great race, one of the best with a great pace and I was coming from behind, but this year it will be a different story, especially with the tyres. We need to understand our potential this year.
5: DANI PEDROSA
“It was a difficult race. I started well but I ran wide at the first corner. Nevertheless, I was only down in fifth or sixth place, which was a good position from which to follow the lead group, but my pace was not good enough and gradually I lost touch. The negative side to this race is the result and the distance from the winner, but the positive is that I learned more about the bike and maybe we can improve for the next race. Physically, I also held up very well. We knew that this was a difficult track for us, but now we must look ahead to Argentina.”
