Dovizioso tops Day 1 test in Qatar
There were a number of high profile crashers – including reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – and a Red Flag late in the session following a number of falls in succession at Turn 2.
At the front was ‘DesmoDovi’, who has been on the podium at Losail for the last two years and set a best lap of 1:54.819 to get under the race lap record of 1:54.927. The Italian put in 36 laps as work continues on the Desmosedici GP17, with no big visible aero updates for the Borgo Panigale factory in Qatar – yet. Dovizioso’s teammate, five-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, continued his steady progress of adaptation, ending an solid first day under the floodlights in P5 with a best of 1:55.616.
Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had another impressive day in the office at Losail, as the fastest man in preseason so far ended Day 1 in second. A 1:55.179 was the 2013 Moto3â„¢ World Champion’s best lap, 0.360 off the number 04 at the front. Teammate and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, who left Phillip Island outside the top ten on combined times, had an improved position after the first day in the desert – finishing up P7 with a 1:55.679.
Cal Crutchlow was the fastest Honda out the blocks, as the two-time GP winner put LCR Honda in P3 with a 1:55.420. The next Honda on the timesheets was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa in P8 on a 1:55.692 – with reigning Champion Marquez in P12 on Day 1 with a 1:55.899. Marquez crashed twice on the first day, including a fall when first trying a new “aero-fairing" for his Repsol Honda machine.
Results
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
1 | DOVIZIOSO Andrea | 4 | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 1'54.819 |
2 | VINALES Maverick | 25 | SPA | Yamaha Factory Racing Team | Yamaha | 0.360 |
3 | CRUTCHLOW Cal | 35 | GBR | LCR Honda | Honda | 0.601 |
4 | ABRAHAM Karel | 17 | CZE | Pull&Bear Aspar Team | Ducati | 0.794 |
5 | LORENZO Jorge | 99 | SPA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 0.797 |
6 | FOLGER Jonas | 94 | GER | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 0.821 |
7 | ROSSI Valentino | 46 | ITA | Yamaha Factory Racing Team | Yamaha | 0.860 |
8 | PEDROSA Dani | 26 | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 0.873 |
9 | ZARCO Johann | 5 | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 0.886 |
10 | IANNONE Andrea | 29 | ITA | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | 0.932 |
11 | PETRUCCI Danilo | 9 | ITA | Octo Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1.011 |
12 | MARQUEZ Marc | 93 | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 1.080 |
13 | ESPARGARO Aleix | 41 | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 1.097 |
14 | MILLER Jack | 43 | AUS | Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 1.198 |
15 | REDDING Scott | 45 | GBR | Octo Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1.266 |
16 | BAUTISTA Alvaro | 19 | SPA | Pull&Bear Aspar Team | Ducati | 1.297 |
17 | BAZ Loris | 76 | FRA | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1.374 |
18 | RINS Alex | 42 | SPA | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | 1.770 |
19 | ESPARGARO Pol | 44 | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1.846 |
20 | LOWES Sam | 22 | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 2.271 |
21 | RABAT Tito | 53 | SPA | Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 2.636 |
22 | KALLIO Mika | 36 | FIN | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 3.220 |
23 | SMITH Bradley | 38 | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 3.936 |