Marquez and Pedrosa Fourth and Fifth in Tricky Qatar Grand Prix

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) finished tonight’s season-opening Qatar Grand Prix in fourth and fifth positions, just four tenths of a second apart at the finish line.

The race started 45 minutes later after the freakish desert weather that has dominated much of this weekend threatened to soak the track once again. A brief shower as riders lined up on the grid caused the nerve-wracking delay, but in the end none of that mattered as the world’s greatest riders laid on a battle royal under the floodlights. Then, as riders returned to their pits after the race, the heavens properly opened.

Reigning World Champion Marquez started the race from the front row of the grid but he never expected an easy race, because this is not one of his favorite racetracks. Tonight’s tricky conditions complicated matters further, with the track surface cooling rapidly and dew forming in some areas.

The 24-year-old Spaniard was in the lead group from the very beginning, chasing early leader and rookie Johann Zarco (Yamaha), who crashed out after-one third distance, highlighting the delicate grip situation. In the later stages Marquez slipped back a few seconds to finish fourth, six seconds behind winner Maverick Vinales (Yamaha).

His issue was the cooling conditions that prompted him to change his front tire on the grid, from the usual hard compound to the medium compound, in the hope that this tire would retain its temperature more efficiently in the cool conditions. In fact Marquez used up much of the tire’s performance in the first few laps, which meant he could not maintain his usual hard-charging style in the later laps.

Pedrosa had a great race, fighting his way through from the third row of the grid to move forward as the shortened 20-lap race went on. The 31-year-old former 125cc and 250cc World Champion also used the medium front and was happy with his performance at a track that has never been really kind to him. Like all the other riders, the Spaniard did superbly to maintain his focus in the run-up to the race, despite the delays.

Australian Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) started his third season in the premier-class in superb style, running an excellent race pace throughout to finish eighth, his best finish in a MotoGP race run in the dry.

Spaniard Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) was rewarded for his sterling efforts in recent weeks, recovering from the injuries he sustained during preseason testing at Sepang at the end of January. The former Moto2 World Champion scored the last World Championship point in 15th position.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda RC213V) had an evening to forget, sliding off twice before retiring. The Briton also switched from a hard front to a medium front and the change did not suit him – the tire got too hot, causing him to crash. Crutchlow bravely restarted but his machines had been damaged in the first tumble, which caused him to fall once again.

The MotoGP circus leaves Qatar tomorrow, making its way to Argentina for the second round of the 2017 MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships on April 9.

Marc Marquez

“We were aware that we struggle a bit at this track, but as always we kept a positive attitude, as we also knew that if everything was in place, we could have fought for the podium or even the victory. I think we worked well over the weekend, and we had everything clear for today. Our plan was to use the harder front compound, but the chaotic situation with the rain and the continuous delays created many doubts. In the end we decided to go with the medium front, aiming to reduce the risk of crashing, but this turned out to be our biggest mistake of the weekend. I struggled with the front the entire time; I couldn’t brake hard and after few laps the tire was already wearing off. We continued to have some small issues with acceleration, but even so I had a good feeling with my bike. But with that tire choice, I wasn't able to gain on braking. That’s my strongest point, so I decided, okay let’s finish this race and Argentina will be another race.”

Dani Pedrosa

“It was a strange race from the beginning, due to these conditions with the rain and the delayed start. It was hard to remain focused during those moments. Then we did our best to manage the race, but we suffered a lot with the front tire, which turned out to be too soft for us. We couldn’t push with the front and I think that all the Hondas had the same problems. Saving the tire to make it last until the end was hard, and above all we weren’t able to push. Anyway, it’s just the first race; we must immediately concentrate on the next one, try to solve this issue and have a good race in Argentina.”

Jack Miller

“After all that’s happened this weekend with the weather and the lost track time, it is a great way to start the season inside the top ten. The small crash in FP1 really set us back on Thursday and then the weather pretty much dominated the next two days. What I’m happy about is that I could carry the momentum gained in the preseason and I’ve felt better each time I’ve jumped on the bike. It’s very positive to be in the top ten and the only disappointment is that I was a little bit tense on the bike in the first part of the race and I was squeezing the handlebars too much and it had a bit of an impact on the transition from brake to throttle. Apart from that it was a very positive finish. It’s a result both myself and the team can build on and I want to thank my guys because they gave me a really competitive package this weekend.”

Tito Rabat

“It is good feeling to score a point here in difficult conditions but also after a tough preseason with my injuries. This can be a tricky circuit in any conditions but I was happy with my start and had a good pace but then mid-race, two Ducatis, Barbera and Abraham, came past and it was difficult to fight with them. I learnt a lot this weekend with my team, especially that I need to be more confident to open the gas.”

Cal Crutchlow

“We changed the front tire on the grid, the same as Marc, and we shouldn’t have done that. The medium front was too soft, but because the race was later they were concerned about the dew, but it was the wrong decision. When I started the race I had contact with Valentino [Rossi], I couldn’t see him and he couldn’t see me; this is racing! But then when I was riding with other guys the front tire got way too hot. Then I went offline a tiny bit and crashed at the last corner. I got back on and I shouldn’t have done because the bike was damaged. I should’ve pulled in; in fact I was going to pull in that lap but I never made it around. I have a never-give-up attitude and I thought I could still finish the race, but I crashed again because of the damage. Sorry to my team!”