IN
THE
WIND
P42
MotoGP Wraps Up Qatar Testing
T
he last three days of testing at
Qatar ended on February 25
with Maverick Vinales (Monster
Energy Yamaha) back on top.
There were four Yamahas in the
top six (with other riders concen-
trating on race pace)—an intrigu-
ing prospect for the first race of
the season, at the same desert
circuit in two weeks.
Despite blustery conditions
which contributed to several
crashes, all but one of the top
10 were faster on day three, and
times closed up. Possibly the
conditions prevented a repeat
of Sunday's position, with all six
makes inside the top 10, but the
point was made.
One of the most power-
ful teams, Ducati, seemed as
strong as ever. They had a raft
of innovative ideas, although no
spectacular time attacks at the
end of the tests. But the usually
dominant Hondas seemed on
the back foot, with injured riders
and important decisions not yet
finalized.
The other two Japanese teams
both appeared to have gained
strength over the winter. Although
Yamaha riders were complain-
ing about acceleration and top
speed issues, the overall picture
was much improved over last
year. Suzuki riders and engineers
alike had quietly moved a pace
forward.
And the European rivals?
Aprilia's all-new contender has
regained momentum, accord-
ing to rider Aleix Espargaro,
after a miss-step in 2018. KTM's
conspicuous efforts—with tons
of parts and constant develop-
ment—can hardly fail to progress,
now that they have four riders
in addition to Dani Pedrosa as a
new tester.
The other sensations of not
only the Losail test but also the
preceding run at Sepang were
blazing rookies. In Malaysia, it
was Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac
Maverick Vinales
has been fast
all winter. Can
he convert it to
regular race wins
in 2019?
The new kid on the
block: Frenchman
Fabio Quartararo
had everyone
talking.
