MotoGP 2015 Round One Losail Race Day Guide
From MotoGP Statistics compiled by Martin Raines
- For the first time since the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana in 2011, none of the riders on pole position are from Spain.
- Andrea Dovizioso starts from pole for the third time in the MotoGP class, and for the first time since the Japanese Grand Prix last year. Dovizioso will be aiming to give Ducati their first podium at Losail since Casey Stoner won the race in 2009.
- Dani Pedrosa has qualified in second place on the grid at one of the four circuits on this year’s schedule where he has not won in any class of GP racing.
- In third place on the grid is Marc Marquez, who won at Losail last year from pole position. Marquez has not been headed in the championship standings since he won the German GP in 2013.
- Andrea Iannone, who heads the second row of the grid, will be aiming to get on the podium for the first time since moving up to the MotoGP class in 2013.
- Yonny Hernandez is in fifth place on the grid, a great improvement on his previous best MotoGP qualifying result of ninth.
- For the first time ever in MotoGP, Ducati have got three riders qualified in the top five places on the grid.
- The top Yamaha in qualifying is Jorge Lorenzo, in sixth place on the grid. Lorenzo won in Qatar in both 2012 and 2013, and crashed last year on the first lap when leading the race.
- Bradley Smith, who heads the third row of the grid, has crashed out of the race in each of his previous two starts in the MotoGP class in Qatar.
- Valentino Rossi is in eighth place on the grid, an improvement of two places from last year in Qatar when he went on to battle with Marquez for the race win.
- Danilo Petrucci is in ninth place on the grid – his best ever qualifying result in MotoGP.
- In tenth place on the grid is Pol Espargaro, one place in front of his brother Aleix who has qualified the Suzuki in 11th place, on the manufacturers return to racing after a three year break.
MotoGP 2015 – Round One – Losail – Qualifying
- DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 1’54.113
- PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’54.330
- MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’54.437
- IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Ducati Team 1’54.521
- HERNANDEZ Yonny 68 COL Pramac Racing 1’54.675
- LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’54.711
- SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’54.732
- ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’54.851
- PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Pramac Racing 1’54.876
- ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’55.004
- ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’55.035
- CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR CWM LCR Honda 1’55.123
- VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’55.246
- REDDING Scott 45 GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 1’55.428
- BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Avintia Racing 1’55.604
- DI MEGLIO Mike 63 FRA Avintia Racing 1’55.729
- HAYDEN Nicky 69 USA Aspar MotoGP Team 1’55.756
- BRADL Stefan 6 GER Athina Forward Racing 1’55.791
- LAVERTY Eugene 50 IRE Aspar MotoGP Team 1’55.848
- ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE AB Motoracing 1’55.892
- BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’56.187
- MILLER Jack 43 AUS CWM LCR Honda 1’56.287
- BAZ Loris 76 FRA Athina Forward Racing 1’56.454
- DE ANGELIS Alex 15 RSM Athina Forward Racing 1’56.793
- MELANDRI Marco 33 ITA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’57.934
Moto2
- Sam Lowes has qualified on pole for the first time in his grand prix career. This is also the first pole for Speed Up since Gabor Talmacsi was on pole at Estoril in 2010. Lowes will be aiming to be the first British rider to win the opening race of the year in any class of GP racing since Barry Sheene won the 500cc race in Venezuela in 1979.
- In second place on the grid is Johann Zarco, who finished 23rd in Qatar last year after crashing on the opening lap and re-starting at the back of the field.
- Tito Rabat, who has qualified on third place on the grid, will be aiming to become the first reigning champion to win the opening intermediate-class race of the year since Jorge Lorenzo in 2007.
- Heading the second row of the grid is Sandro Cortese, who had three podium finishes at Losail during his time competing in the lightweight-class of grand prix racing.
- In fifth place on the grid is Jonas Folger, who set a Moto3 lap record on his way to finishing fifth in Qatar in 2013.
- Xavier Simeon starts from the final place on the second row of the grid. Simeon finished 24th in Qatar last year, after qualifying in seventh place on the grid and crashing on the first lap then re-starting.
Moto3
- Alexis Masbou, making his 141st GP start, has qualified on pole for the first time in his grand prix career. Masbou is the first French rider to start from pole in the lightweight-class of grand prix racing since Johann Zarco was on pole in the 125cc class at Phillip Island in 2011. Masbou set a new Moto3 lap record on his way to finishing 7th last year at Losail – the only fastest lap of his GP career.
- Isaac Viñales is in second place on the grid, equalling his best ever GP qualifying result, from Brno last year.
- Taking the final place on the front row is Nico Antonelli, who will be aiming to finish on the podium for the first time in grand prix racing.
- Heading the second row is Francesco Bagnaia – the best qualifying result of his grand prix career.
- John McPhee starts from 5th place on the grid, having qualified with a time just 0.084 seconds slower than pole position rider Masbou.
- Fabio Quartararo starts from the final place on the second row of the grid, the best qualifying result in the Moto3 class for a rider making his GP debut since Romano Fenati was in 6th place on the grid at Qatar in 2012, when he also finished 2nd in the race – the last time a rider making his debut in Moto3 finished on the podium.
