A night shot of the Losail International Circuit.
If statistics witnessed at last month’s Qatar Test are any indication, then we are in for a real speed treat in the MotoGP season-opener set to be held under lights at Losail International Circuit (LIC) this weekend.
Reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (pictured) (Repsol Honda Team), winner of nine races last season, in late February clocked an astonishing top speed of 348.4km/h at the final pre-season testing suggesting a quick return to form and fitness after surgery on left shoulder in December.
After winning three consecutive races twice last season, the 26-year-old will be hoping to spur Repsol Honda Team hopes in the new season along with new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, the winner of three MotoGP titles in 2010, 2012 and 2015. Marquez will have to be respected by his rivals for aiming high after nailing the 2018 season in round 16.
Lorenzo, who managed three wins last season to finish 9th best, must avoid last year’s start-stop season when he retired from three races and did not start at two venues.
Marquez, however, can’t wait for the season to begin.
“Finally, it’s time to go racing once again! This winter has been different due to the surgery, I worked hard with five hours of physio per day with only one goal: arrive in the best conditions in the first race of the year,” Marquez said in a team statement.
“At the Qatar Test I felt much better than at the Malaysia Test and now I can say that I arrive almost 100%. Honda have done a lot to improve the bike and in the test we were feeling strong, especially for a circuit which usually isn’t the best for us, but we have to keep improving.
“Qatar is always a special round, not just because it is the first of the year but also because of the conditions. We will have to pay special attention to the temperature and consider everything before the race,” Marquez, the five-time MotoGP world champion, added.
Lorenzo, the three-time world champion, is also eagerly awaiting the start of the 2019 campaign.
“Lining up on the grid in Qatar is something I have been picturing during the entire off-season,” Lorenzo said in a team statement.
“It’s a new era for me and for the team, it is a special moment to be riding for the Repsol Honda Team. I am ready to give everything to achieve the best results I can on the Honda. Unfortunately I am not yet at my maximum with the bike, but I still believe we can achieve a good result here in Qatar.
“As with every year, MotoGP is looking very competitive and we certainly have the package we need to fight with the best after some more time. I know we can achieve greatness,” the Italian said.
With eyes firmly set on Marquez and Lorenzo, MotoGP fans will invariably look to a rider who has turned up ready to rock without missing the start of a season in the last two decades.
Valentino Rossi, the larger-than-life Italian bike giant, is ready for his 20th riding season and this one comes on the back of a third-place finish in the championship last tear a notch behind Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati).
Forty-year-old Rossi, riding for Monster Energy Yamaha, will be hoping to give his die-hard fans more proof of his insatiable hunger for racing. With his popularity nowhere to be diminishing, Rossi will aim to impress on the new M1 bike from Yamaha.
Rossi’s Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales spent a busy time during pre-season testing in held over almost four months in Valencia, Jerez, Sepang and Losail City. According to stats made available, the 24-year-old Spaniard lapped an astonishing 589 times, the equivalent of 2940.1km in 10 days of pre-season testing.
Marquez’s chief rival Dovizioso stunned fans and pundits with his explosive season-opening win under lights at LIC last year in March. The 23-year-old went on to win three more races in an extremely tough season to finish second behind Marquez in the final points tally. His four wins make up the 11 Grands Prix victories for the Italian in the last 38 races make him the second most successful rider in MotoGP circuit.
Dovizioso’s riding mate Danilo Pretucci, who finished in 8th spot last year, arrives for the new season knowing he has a one-season deal with Ducati. The 28-year-old Terni-born must deliver and better his 144 points from last season if he wants to remain in the top five this year.
Cal Crutchlow, Great Britain’s popular MotoGP rider, was one of five to win a Grand Prix last season apart from Marquez, Dovizioso, Lorenzo and Vinales. The LCR Honda Castrol rider will get on the bike knowing he has had his share of upsets but the 33-year-old never gives up. A right ankle fracture during free practice at Phillip Island ended his season prematurely but the Briton impressed during pre-season testing.
