Vinales on top as Qatar test ends
Lorenzo and Marquez hammer around as the sun sets |
Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) leaves Losail International Circuit after the Qatar Test having topped two of the three days, the first and final, and on Monday it was with a 1:54.208 to end the test 0.233 clear. The top spot was again under threat from an incredible performance from rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in second, however, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top three. And, after a tougher Day 2 for Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the ‘Doctor’ was back inside the top four just behind Marquez, with Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) another resurgent runner as he completed the top five.
So it’s Yamaha who leave Qatar on top despite a windier Day 3, with Vinales putting in 50 laps on Monday and Rossi 38. The Italian was pretty positive and said it came from putting “everything together", but the Spaniard did still insist they need to improve and one of the big things he pointed out was edge grip, where he said the Yamaha is lacking a little compared to other manufacturers. Quartararo, meanwhile, did 48 laps and showed his Day 2 showing was far from a fluke, with teammate Franco Morbidelli shooting up the timesheets to sixth on Monday too. That makes good reading for both the Iwata marque and the new Petronas Yamaha SRT team, with all Yamahas in the top six.
Repsol Honda were the only other team and manufacturer to mix it with them on Monday, although both machines took tumbles – riders ok. Marc Marquez was third with a 1:54.613 and did 53 laps, again showing the capacity to put more mileage on his shoulder, and teammate Jorge Lorenzo took P5 just 0.040 off Marquez and 0.002 off Rossi. After two much tougher days on the timesheets hovering outside the top 15 as he both changes bike and comes back from a scaphoid broken only a month ago, the five-time World Champion catapulted himself up to a 1:54.653 on Day 3.
Qatar Test Day Three Combined
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
1 | VINALES Maverick | 12 | SPA | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1'54.208 |
2 | QUARTARARO Fabio | 20 | FRA | Petronas Yamaha SRT | Yamaha | 0.233 |
3 | RINS Alex | 42 | SPA | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | 0.385 |
4 | MARQUEZ Marc | 93 | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 0.405 |
5 | ROSSI Valentino | 46 | ITA | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 0.443 |
6 | LORENZO Jorge | 99 | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 0.445 |
7 | MORBIDELLI Franco | 21 | ITA | Petronas Yamaha SRT | Yamaha | 0.452 |
8 | ESPARGARO Pol | 44 | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 0.562 |
9 | NAKAGAMI Takaaki | 30 | JPN | LCR Honda | Honda | 0.581 |
10 | PETRUCCI Danilo | 9 | ITA | Mission Winnow Ducati | Ducati | 0.610 |
11 | MILLER Jack | 43 | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 0.643 |
12 | MIR Joan | 36 | SPA | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | 0.789 |
13 | BAGNAIA Francesco | 63 | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 0.866 |
14 | ESPARGARO Aleix | 41 | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 0.965 |
15 | DOVIZIOSO Andrea | 4 | ITA | Mission Winnow Ducati | Ducati | 0.997 |
16 | RABAT Tito | 53 | SPA | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1.021 |
17 | CRUTCHLOW Cal | 35 | GBR | LCR Honda | Honda | 1.039 |
18 | IANNONE Andrea | 29 | ITA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 1.135 |
19 | ZARCO Johann | 5 | FRA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1.508 |
20 | OLIVEIRA Miguel | 88 | POR | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM | 1.565 |
21 | ABRAHAM Karel | 17 | CZE | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1.743 |
22 | SMITH Bradley | 38 | GBR | Aprilia Racing Test Team | Aprilia | 1.864 |
23 | SYAHRIN Hafizh | 55 | MAL | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM | 2.163 |