Can Maverick Viñales turn his dazzling testing form into a race win in Qatar this weekend after he has dominated MotoGP pre-season testing on the Movistar Yamaha?
The 22-year-old Spaniard has made a sensational start to his Yamaha career, leading all three pre-season test sessions including at the Losail International circuit last week. He joins 38-year-old nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi, with the departure of last year’s Qatar winner Jorge Lorenzo to Ducati.
Last year Viñales, a former Moto3 World Champion, took his maiden MotoGP victory at the Octo British Grand Prix while riding for the Ecstar Suzuki team. He has been replaced at Suzuki by Austrian Grand Prix winner Andrea Iannone, who has rookie Moto2 winner Alex Rins as his team-mate.
World Champion Marc Marquez crashed five times in the Qatar test as he struggled to tame the power of the Repsol Honda and it promises to be a season-long fight for glory between the three times MotoGP Champion and Viñales.
Lorenzo made good progress on the GP17 Ducati in Qatar but the 22-lap race on Sunday may just come a little early for a repeat of his victory last year. His Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso has been fast and consistent throughout testing at a circuit where both he and the team have good MotoGP form.
The surprises this Sunday could come from a fit Dani Pedrosa, a rejuvenated Alvaro Bautista on his return to the Pull and Bear Aspar Team Ducati, and the Monster Tech3 Yamaha rookie duo of Moto2 World Champion Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger. This weekend also marks the proper debut of the Red Bull KTM team with Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro onboard the new machines.
With four of the leading riders stepping up to MotoGP on Sunday, this year’s Moto2 Championship is wide open. Pre-season favourites must include Tom Luthi, Franco Morbidelli and Takaaki Nakagami but there is some big talent coming up from Moto3, including World Champion Brad Binder and grand prix winner Khairul Idham Pawi.
It’s the same story in Moto3, with the departure of the aforementioned Binder. Italian Romano Fenati returns after his problems and has looked impressive on the Marinelli Rivacold Snipers Honda and will face tough opposition from fellow Italian grand prix winners Enea Bastianini and Niccolo Antonelli.
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