Cycle News

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP VOL. 51 ISSUE 12 MARCH 25, 2014 P41 paved run-off and huge gravel traps. Smith got away best from the front row, but not as well as Lo- renzo from the second, and it was the Yamaha ahead as they looped back and forth in the desert night around the very technical circuit. He held on, clearly intent on an early breakaway, before proving "we are only human, and sometimes make mistakes." Different tires and cooler tarmac had caught him out. "I was too fast into the corner when the tires were not ready yet," he said. By now LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl has pushed through to take the lead ahead of Smith, who was about to lose second to Marquez. Pramac Ducati's Andrea Iannone was about to take an early fourth from Dovizioso's Ducati, only to slip off on lap two, the sec- ond of a number of crashers on the treacherous track. Pedrosa had lost a couple of positions and was sixth behind Rossi, but ahead of Bautista. Bradl held on up front for eight impressive laps, pur- sued by Marquez and by lap six also Rossi, to and fro with Bautista (briefly up to second on lap six), before he too succumbed to the front-end slip-away. Now Rossi seized the lead, with the top five still within five seconds: Rossi, Marquez, Pedrosa, Smith, Briefly... Espargaro – setting blazing times on his M1 – was emphatic. "I don't know when the new frame will come, but I will not use it. It's not in my plan," he said. Yamaha's original intention was to lease only engines (five were consid- ered enough, though 12 are allowed); but in the absence of any alterna- tive from the team the supposedly Open-category pair are equipped with last year's Tech 3 bikes used by Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith. As with the Open Honda RCV1000Rs, the Yamahas don't use the full 24 liter fuel allowance either - 22 is consid- ered sufficient for engines designed to race on 21. It's not unusual for tires to take cen- ter stage at a race meeting – but twisted rules, skewed pre-season testing and somewhat arbitrary mixed tire allocations gave the topic much more horsepower at Qatar. On Maverick Vinales with him, and three tenths adrift over the line – the pair consigning Corsi to fifth. Less than 10 seconds down, anoth- er hot rookie – this one a complete GP first-timer. World Supersport Cham- pion Sam Lowes was a fine debut sixth on the Speed Up. Another 10 seconds down, Australian Anthony West had been leading a furious battle for seventh. On the last lap he was passed by inches by Sandro Cortese (Dyna- volt Kalex) and Jordi Torres (Mapfre Suter); Louis Rossi (SAG Kalex) was still close in tenth, fending off another Moto3 rookie Jonas Folger (AGR Kalex), American Josh Herrin didn't make a lap in his debut, the AMA Superbike Champion involved in a pile-up in turn seven. "We got a really good start and were up to 17th in turn one, then going into turn two I was able to pass some guys on the outside and the same in six," Herrin said. "Going into turn seven I had a lot of confidence and was riding on the outside of [Alex] De Angelis, then I just saw Zarco and a couple of guys fall down in front of him and it was just a chain reaction that collected us. It's disappointing but at least now I have a lot of confidence going into Austin because the bike felt really good and I was able to pass a lot of the riders I hadn't been able to pass in practice. " Josh Herrin's debut under the lights in Qatar didn't go well as he crashed out of the race early. Stefan Bradl (6) led most of the early laps from Marquez (93) and Smith (38), but he also crashed out of the race. continued on next page continued on page 45

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