Qatar MotoGP Sunday Race Day Guide
Official statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines
MotoGP Race at 0500 EDST Monday Morning
MotoGP
• The top four places in qualifying are filled by factory bikes from four different manufacturers. The last time this occurred was at the Czech GP in 2008 when the top four places were taken by the following manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki.
• Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole in the MotoGP class at Qatar for the fourth time. From his three previous poles he has had two wins and a second place finish. Lorenzo is aiming to become the first rider since Casey Stoner in 2009 to win the opening race of the year having won the final race of the previous season.
• This is Jorge Lorenzo’s 62nd pole in grand prix racing across all classes, which is the greatest number of poles among current riders, one more than achieved by Valentino Rossi.
• In second place on the grid is Marc Marquez who won the MotoGP race in Qatar two years ago.
• In third place on the grid is Maverick Viñales – the first time that a Suzuki rider has started from the front row of the grid in Qatar. Viñales will be aiming to give Suzuki their first podium finish since Loris Capirossi was third at the Czech GP in 2008.
• Heading the second row is Andrea Iannone, who finished third last year in Qatar – his first podium finish in the MotoGP class.
• Valentino Rossi is in fifth place on the grid, which is his best qualifying result at the opening race of the year since 2010.
• Taking the final place on the second row is Andrea Dovizioso, who finished second in Qatar last year.
• Heading the third row is Dani Pedrosa, who finished on the podium four times in the final five races of 2015.
• The top satellite rider is Hector Barbera in eighth place on the grid, who won the 250cc race in Qatar back in 2009.
• Pol Espargaro, who starts the race from ninth place on the grid, won the Moto2 race in Qatar on his way to winning the Moto2 world title in 2013.
• Of the top nine riders on the grid, the only two who have not previously won a grand prix at Qatar in any class are Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa.
Moto2
• Jonas Folger, the Moto2 winner from Qatar last year, has qualified on pole for the first time since the French GP in 2014.
• Sam Lowes, in his first race using a Kalex frame, has qualified in second place on the grid.
• Taking the final place on the front row is Alex Rins, who finished fourth last year in Qatar on his debut in the Moto2 class.
• Johann Zarco starts from fourth place on the grid and is attempting to become the first reigning Moto2 World Champion to win the opening race of the year.
• Franco Morbidelli is in fifth place on the grid – his best qualifying result since the German GP last year.
• Taking the final place on the second row is Sandro Cortese, who has finished 7th in Qatar for the last two years.
Moto3
• Romano Fenati starts from pole for just the second time in his grand prix career. His other pole was at Motegi last year when he crashed on the third lap, before restarting and finishing 28th. Fenati finished second at Losail when making his grand prix debut in 2012 – his only top ten finish in Qatar.
• Livio Loi has qualified on the front row for the first time in his grand prix career. This is the best qualifying result by a Belgium rider in the lightweight class of grand prix racing since Lucio Pietroniro started the 125cc Belgium GP in 1985 from second place on the grid.
• Fabio Quartararo starts from third place on the grid – his first front row start since the German GP last year.
• Heading the second row of the grid is Jorge Navarro, who finished on the podium four times in the last five races of 2015.
• Aron Canet starts from fifth place – the best grid position by a rider making his debut in the lightweight-class of grand prix racing since Scott Redding qualified fourth fastest in Qatar in 2008.
• After being demoted three places for irresponsible riding during practice, Brad Binder starts from sixth place on the grid.
