MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 1/MARCH 29, 2015
LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT/LOSAIL QATAR
P52
FOLGER'S
FORTUNE
More tales of the unexpected—in a
race that (typically for the class) lacked
close battles up front—was larded with
heavy drama, as front-runners suffered
a variety of cruel fates.
The first victim was Speed Up's
Sam Lowes, who had been rampant in
practice and started from pole. Full of
confidence, he led away, but finished
lap two in second behind fellow front-
row man Johann Zarco on the Ajo
Kalex. He never finished the third,
crashing out with "a stupid mistake that
spoiled a wonderful weekend."
Third front-row starter, defending
champion Tito Rabat on the Estrella
Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex was also
doomed to failure. A poor start saw
him finish lap one eighth, and he had
picked up only one position when he
also crashed out at the start of lap
four, after tagging Simone Corsi's
Athina Forward Kalex, sending him
down and out as well.
Cruel fate was also awaiting Zarco.
But it would take its time.
The Frenchman sailed serenely
onwards, with a lead of almost five
seconds and no threats in sight. AGR
Kalex' Jonas Folger was second, and
Federal Oil Kalex' Xavier Simeon third,
all nicely spaced out.
Then with three laps left Zarco
suddenly slowed as he ran onto the
main straight, staring down at his
failed quick-shift mechanism with such
intensity that he came within inches of
a disastrous crash into pit wall. He was
stuck in third gear, and could only limp
onwards as those he had outdistanced
rapidly caught up.
Folger and Simeon flashed past.
