After winning huge bragging rights by being the fastest rider at all four MotoGP pre-season tests, Spaniard Maverick Vinales picked up right where he left off by posting the fastest time during the first free practice at the opening round of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship Thursday night at Losail International Circuit, in Qatar.
Vinales, riding his Movistar Yamaha YZR-M1 on Michelin control tires, lapped the 3.34-mile course in 1:54.316, which was well under the existing race lap record for the track, a 1:54.927, which was set by Jorge Lorenzo in 2016.
The Circuit Best Lap Record for Losail in a 1:53.927, which was also set by Lorenzo, albeit in 2008.
“I‘m feeling good,” Vinales said via a press release issued by his team. “During the last part of the test I felt confident, and today I felt the same. I went out on the same bike and the track was looking good, so I just pushed and tried to do my best. The bike is working great, and the team is doing a good job all the time. We improved the electronics a bit, so that helped to set today‘s lap time.
“At the end, I put in a new tire and set that 1:54.316. The important thing is that tomorrow we‘ll work really hard on the race pace. Today, we were feeling good on the medium tires and I was able to set nice lap times, but we decided to put in the new tire anyway so in case it rains tomorrow we‘ll be in Q2.
“The track was little bit dirty and windy on the first couple of laps, but then the wind calmed down so we had more power on the bike and that helped a lot. The first laps were quite difficult with the wind. The bike was wheelying and there wasn‘t a lot of grip on the circuit, but suddenly the track improved a lot and when I put in the new tire I just had to push and go for it.”
Three-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was the best of the rest with a 1:54.912 on his Repsol Honda RC213V. Marquez was followed by his teammate Dani Pedrosa, who produced a lap time of 1:55.210.
MotoGP rookie Jonas Folger was an impressive fourth with a time of 1:55.587 on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1.
Lorenzo ranked fifth overall and top Ducati rider via his lap of 1:55.607 on his new Desmosedici GP17.
Weather conditions Thursday night were cool and very windy and the track conditions were dirty from sand at the start, making it tricky for the riders. Eventually, the winds eased and the racing line was cleaned off, allowing riders to do faster lap times.
Most of the riders at the top of the order said they used softer tire choices, and some mentioned that they did so to ensure a spot in the top 10 — and a spot in Qualifying Session Two, because rain is in the forecast for later this weekend and Free Practice One may be the only dry session they get before the race.
The MotoGP riders will be back on track for Free Practice Two at 11:00 a.m. Eastern/8:00 a.m. Pacific on Friday, March 24, followed by Free Practice Three at 1:55 p.m. Eastern/10:55 a.m. Pacific later the same day.
Grand Prix of Qatar
FIM MotoGP World Championship
Losail International Circuit
Doha, Qatar
March 23, 2017
Free Practice One Results (All on Michelin tires):
1. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:54.316
2. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:54.912
3. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:55.210
4. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 1:55.587
5. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:55.607
6. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:55.624
7. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:55.639
8. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:55.792
9. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:55.799
10. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:55.872
11. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:55.873
12. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:56.000
13. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:56.027
14. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:56.128
15. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:56.399, crash
16. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:56.419
17. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:56.453, crash
18. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:56.502
19. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:56.725
20. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:56.725
21. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:57.630
22. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:57.887, crash
23. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:58.114
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Tech3 duo power to notable results on day one under the floodlights
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 pair ignited their rookie campaigns with two highly impressive performances on the opening day of action in Qatar. Young German rider Jonas Folger turned heads by storming to 4th in the solitary practice which he superbly concluded as the top independent rider after setting his rapid time in the final moments of the session. Whereas double Moto2 World Champion Johann Zarco surged to 8th after ending up only two-tenths of a second behind his teammate. Both riders fully intend to continue their positive momentum tomorrow with the second practice session kicking off at 18:00 local time.
Jonas FOLGER
Position: 4th – Time: 1’55.587 – Laps: 15
“I’m very pleased to finish the first free practice in this way. Having said that, the conditions were tricky because of the strong winds and this made the bike feel so different. Now we have to rebalance the suspension, especially as we were on soft tyres, and we also have to adjust the electronics so that I can hold the line better on the track, and therefore, ride the corners in a smoother manner. Nevertheless, we did a great job and the team and I started my first Grand Prix on the YZR-M1 in a really solid way. I can’t wait to get back on the asphalt tomorrow where I will continue to do my best.”
Johann ZARCO
Position: 8th – Time: 1’55.792 – Laps: 18
“The first day went well for me and I am happy that I ran consistently inside the top ten. You never know what the weather will do during the other sessions, so the team and I used some strategies which enabled me to be quick straight away. At the moment, finishing day one in this position is positive and I felt good on the bike. I am pleased that we tested here not long ago and thanks to this, I could make full use of the references that we made. I don’t feel that the circuit is as rideable as it was during the test, but Maverick is very quick so this means that the track is ok, which raises my confidence. Tomorrow’s aim is to reduce the gap to Viñales, because he is top and also a Yamaha rider, so although he has more experience, if I can close in on him I will stay inside the top ten and that is important for the rest of the weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Miller and Rabat open the MotoGP season in Qatar
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat completed the first official free practice session in cool and breezy conditions at the Losail International Circuit this evening.
After a positive preseason of testing Miller was 17th with a best lap of 1’56.453 and was closely followed by Rabat in 19th at 1’56.725.
Miller’s momentum was slowed when he had a sudden front-end crash at T2 but the Australian rider returned to the track on his spare Honda RC213V to finish the opening 45-minute session with a series of solid race pace laps.
Track temperature peaked at just 22 degrees with dry conditions despite the threat of rain.
Rabat continued to make progress from preseason injuries, which forced him to miss the Phillip Island test. The Spaniard completed 18 laps as he worked towards an ideal race set-up.
Sunday’s night’s 22-lap Qatar Grand Prix is the opening race of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship.
Jack Miller: 17th – 1’56.453
“The crash came on my first flying lap after I switched to the medium front tyre. I just got a big front-end lock in a straight line; the bike just disappeared from under me. It was cool and there was some wind. But it’s a reasonable start and I feel good on the bike, I went back out on used tyres and did decent lap times on my second bike although I was a bit shaken from the fall. But overall I’m happy with how we are working this weekend for the opening race.”
Tito Rabat: 19th – 1′ 56.725
“I am very happy with my physical condition for first official practice of the season although the track conditions were not so good, it was cold, windy and the track a little dirty. We decided to use the soft tyre in the front although it moves a lot in the middle of the corner when turning but it also gives me a better feeling with the bike. I am very happy with the chassis and electronics and I am in a positive mood for the rest of the weekend.”
Ramon Aurin: Chief Engineer – Jack Miller
“Jack had a good feeling on the bike although the wind was a small issue for him. We are expecting some rain tomorrow so we put in a soft tyre to try and be in the top ten but on the first flying lap in turn two a gust of wind hit him and perhaps the tyre was not quite up to temperature and he crashed. But Jack is in a positive frame of mind and he has a strong rhythm already for the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini:
FIRST PRACTICE SESSION IN QATAR FOR THE APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES
ESPARGARÓ WITH A GOOD TENTH PLACE DESPITE A TRACK THAT DOES NOT PERFECTLY SUIT HIS STYLE: “TOMORROW WE’LL BE BETTER”
LOWES CAUTIOUS AFTER A HARMLESS SLIDE
The first practice session of the 2017 MotoGP season had the asphalt as protagonist on the Losail track in Qatar. In fact, the riders found a very dirty track, swept by energetic gusts of wind – conditions that demanded caution, especially in the first part of the session.
Aleix Espargaró finished in a good position, tenth with a time of 1’55.872 (but less than 7 tenths from third place) despite the fact that a lack of grip at the front penalises the Spaniard’s riding style. Tomorrow, with conditions that promise to be better, Aleix is confident that he will be able to improve his performance.
Sam Lowes, in his first official session astride the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini RS-GP, fell victim to a harmless slide just as he was becoming familiar with the Losail track. For the rest of the session, the English rookie preferred not taking any risks, without using the soft tyre which he will try tomorrow.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“The feeling today wasn’t the best. I had a lot of trouble stopping the bike, probably because of how dirty the track still was. These are conditions similar to the first day of the last tests. With my riding style, relying a lot on the front, I struggle particularly with the lack of grip. Being in the top 10 despite the situation is a good sign, anyway. Tomorrow we will definitely be able to improve both in terms of settings and thanks to a more rubberised and cleaner track.”
SAM LOWES
“The conditions today were very different than those in the tests. Starting with the same setting I did not have the same sensations. I think it was the same for everyone. I didn’t use the soft tyre, which seems to make the difference in terms of lap times, so all things considered, the situation is not alarming. Also considering the crash, I preferred not to push too hard and to wait for the sessions tomorrow to look for more speed.”
More, from a press release issued by Pull&Bear Aspar Team:
Pull&Bear Aspar open season in strong form
Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham start Qatar GP with fast times in opening practice
The MotoGP World Championship season officially got underway on Thursday night in Qatar. A change in timetable for the round at the Losail International Circuit means that the action begins a day early, with a single Free Practice session for the MotoGP class. The fastest tme of the opening night was set by Maverick Viñales, with a 1:54.316, almost 6 tenths quicker than his closest rival. Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa were the only other riders able to place within the same second as their fellow Spaniard, whilst behind them a large group were separated by just a single second.
The Pull&Bear Aspar riders had experienced positive preseason tests, and continued this in the opening practice session of 2017. Álvaro Bautista stopped the clock at 1:56.128, completing 19 laps of the Qatari track. He and his crew dedicated the session to trying out various adjustments that had been left over from preseason, and also experimented with the tyres that had given them the worst feeling at Losail last week. Bautista hopes to continue his improvement tomorrow evening. Karel Abraham placed fifteenth, but was just 8 tenths off fourth place. He suffered a light crash at Turn 2, just minutes before the end of the session. He escaped unharmed, but the Czech rider was unable to improve his top time of 1:56.399.
14th Álvaro Bautista 1:56.128 (19 laps): “The track was very different today compared with the conditions in the test. We used tyres which I hadn’t liked so much, because we had to try out some things that we hadn’t been able to in testing. We used today for that. I felt more or less comfortable, but I hope to continue gaining confidence tomorrow and get back the feeling that I had in the tests. It was a good first night’s work, and I hope that for the rest of the GP we can be stronger.”
15th Karel Abraham 1:56.399 (14 laps): “The track was still a little bit dirty from sand, and it was difficult to clean it. I felt very good on the bike on the last stint. I was trying to set a fast lap time, which immediately worked out for me on the first attempt. On the second time, I was pushing but not excessively so -and on the second corner I crashed. We’re looking at why that happened, because I wasn’t braking as hard as in the test -nor was there as much lean angle. I saw Miller crash in front of me, so we’ll see what really happened because I’m a little bit confused. I think we can be happy with fifteenth, but maybe if we hadn’t crashed we could have made the Top 10. When I set my best lap time I really felt that I wasn’t pushing 100%. I was sure that I could get up to a 1:56.2 on the next lap, but unfortunately I had the crash.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Positive start to the 2017 MotoGP season for Repsol Honda in Qatar
Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa commenced their 2017 MotoGP campaign positively this evening in Qatar, setting the second- and third-fastest lap times, respectively, by the end of a single free-practice session that got underway at 7:55 p.m. local time.
The Repsol Honda riders constantly improved their speed throughout the 45 minute stint, with Marc recording his best effort in 1’54.912” on his 17th lap of 18 and Dani setting his fastest time of 1’55.212” on lap 15 of 16.
FP2 and FP3 will begin tomorrow at 6 p.m. and 8:55 p.m. local time, respectively.
Marc Marquez 93
2ND 1’54.912
“This first day was positive enough because two weeks ago we hadn’t finish the test so well, while today I had a better feeling with the bike. We started with a different setup compared to then and we did a good job. We have some work to do, especially on the electronics side, but that said I’m quite happy. Maverick is really fast but it was to be expected, and on our side we’re working hard in our garage to try and find a good compromise with the setup.”
Dani Pedrosa 26
3RD 1’55.210
“I’m happy with today. Even if the track conditions and the grip weren’t the best, we tried to push hard in case the weather gets worse tomorrow as the forecast says. It was important to be up front, because everybody is expecting some rain. I’m generally happy and I think we have already gathered a lot of good information. We’ll see how things go and keep working to do our best.”
More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:
SCOTT AND PETRUX 12TH AND 16TH AFTER FIRST DAY OF FREE PRACTICE ACTION
The first free practices of the 2017 MotoGP season went on stage today at the Losail Circuit in Doha, under the light produced by 42 GSW Pramac’s generators. Scott Redding and Danilo Petrucci finished in twelfth and sixteenth respectively, both with positive feelings.
Scott completed 16 laps registering in the time attack of his third run a time of 1’56.000, only one tenth of a second behind the Top 10.
Petrux set his best lap-time (1’56.419) during the second run in which he managed to stay with the leading group, then chosing to put off until tomorrow his time attack attempt with the soft tire.
12th – Scott Redding – 1’56.000
“To be honest I struggled a little bit more than I did on the last day of testing. With the soft tire I felt the front locking and this took me a bit of confidence as during testing the feeling was really good. I decided to put the medium at the front end and things have got better lap after lap. We need to improve a few things but I’m pleased with the way we started”.
16th – Danilo Petrucci – 1’56.419
“I did not want to use the soft tire in FP1. As a result I lost some positions during the time attack of the last run. This could be a disadvantage only if it will rain tomorrow, but in the end I am very happy because from the beginning I was with the others in front. This gives me much hope for the race. I immediately found a the right feeling with the bike as I had a few days ago, even though the track conditions were a bit different from the last testing”.
More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:
Sixth fastest lap for Loris Baz and positive feelings for Hector Barbera on the first day in Qatar
The first free practice session of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, has been positive for Reale Avintia Racing team. Loris Baz was sixth fastest after in the 45 minutes of the season and he was the second fastest Ducati rider, just 0.017s behind Jorge Lorenzo. This was a great start for the French rider who finished inside the top 10 and, if the rain forecast for tomorrow is right, he will be already in the first Q2 of the season.
The first night at Losail was also positive for Hector Barbera. Obviously his position in the timesheet is not the best, either as his lap time, but after almost one month recovering from a collarbone fracture, and with three days less at this track comparing with his rivals, he had quite good feelings on the bike. Tomorrow, if weather conditions permit, the Reale Avintia Racing team rider expects to continue improving the set up of his Ducati.
Loris Baz | 1’55.624 | P6
“The grip was really bad at the beginning of the session, and the feeling was very different from the test, so we wait a little bit until the track was cleaned. The wind was also stronger than in the test, so we had to find the best braking point on the main straight. We could not test something for the race as my second bike had some issues, but overall I’m really happy because I was fast with the soft tyres. And honestly I did not expect to do this lap time on the first day. This is a good track for Ducati, because are fast on the straight. This is not my case because I’m too tall, but today we demonstrated that this bike is not just fast on straight line.”
Hector Barbera | 1’56.725 | P20
“My feeling was quite positive, and although the collarbone obviously hurts under acceleration, braking and changing direction, it is something I can handle. The biggest gap for me was loosing the last test, because the rest of the riders have done three more days and we just had 45 minutes to set up de bike. The electronics are important and my electronic engineer need to know what I need to go faster, but in just one session this is impossible. But I’m happy because with one test less I finished just one second behind the fastest Ducati, and this is something positive. I also spend a lot of time sitting in my garage, I need to keep energy for when I will really need to push hard.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
MOVISTAR YAMAHA PUSH THE LIMIT IN FIRST QATAR FP SESSION
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team showed its hand at the first outing of the Grand Prix of Qatar today. Riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi took little time to get refamiliarised with the Losail International Circuit, wrapping up the first timed practice session in first and ninth place respectively.
Doha (Qatar), 23rd March 2017
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team made their first steps in the 2017 MotoGP title challenge today at the Grand Prix of Qatar. Riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi didn‘t hold back in the first free practice session of the season at the Losail International Circuit, securing first and ninth position respectively.
Viñales fell right back into his winter testing groove and smoothly built up his pace as he circulated the track under the floodlights. With all 23 MotoGP riders eager to start the 2017 World Championship, traffic offered an extra obstacle, but the young Spaniard was unfazed and stormed to the top of the standings with a 1‘55.668s lap and more than 30 minutes remaining.
Feeling confident with his progress, Viñales worked on the bike‘s electronics around the 5.4km circuit. His time set in the early stages was untouchable for the competition until the pace picked up in the final minutes of the session. However, he wasn‘t shy to respond and dropped a 1’54.739s for the provisional lead in the standings. Showing he meant business, he followed it up with a 1’54.316s lap to extend his lead after day one to +0.596s.
Despite the Losail track being quite dirty and windy at the start of the 45-minute practice session, teammate Rossi needed less than 10 minutes to breach into the top three, with a 1‘56.695s. Fully focused on getting his YZR-M1 completely ready for the first race of the season, he worked on improving his feeling with the front while the pace of the field quickened.
The Doctor used his expertise to further improve his times, shaving off tenths in various parts of the circuit. He ended the day with a 1‘55.799s lap for sixth place, 1,483s from the leading time, but was pushed to ninth position as a few riders left their flying lap to the last minute.
As Sunday’s race will be held at 21:00 (GMT+3), there will be a second and third free practice session held tomorrow evening at 18:00 – 18:45 and 20:55 – 21:40 (GMT+3) to enable the riders to be fully prepared for the night event.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We have officially completed the first timed session of the MotoGP season and we are satisfied with today‘s results. Maverick started exactly in the same way as he finished the winter testing. He continues to show his fast and consistent pace whilst trying different settings. His 1‘54.316s lap time was impressive and boosts our confidence, but we believe there‘s still a margin for improvement. Vale started this free practice with a different weight distribution than during the test a fortnight ago, because they are still working on improving his feeling with the bike. Even though he‘s still not 100% satisfied, they found some important information, so we are quite confident that he will be making improvements in FP2 and FP3. Tomorrow the riders will be putting their attention towards making another step concerning the race distance.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
I‘m feeling good. During the last part of the test I felt confident and today I felt the same. I went out on the same bike and the track was looking good, so I just pushed and tried to do my best. The bike is working great and the team is doing a good job all the time and we improved the electronics a bit, so that helped to set today‘s lap time. At the end, I put in a new tyre and set that 1‘54.316s. The important thing is that tomorrow we‘ll work really hard on the race pace. Today we were feeling good on the medium tyres and I was able to set nice lap times, but we decided to put in the new tyre anyway, so in case it rains tomorrow we‘ll be in Q2. The track was little bit dirty and windy on the first couple of laps, but then the wind calmed down so we had more power on the bike and that helped a lot. The first laps were quite difficult with the wind, the bike was wheelying and there wasn‘t a lot of grip on the circuit, but suddenly the track improved a lot and when I put in the new tyre I just had to push and go for it.
VALENTINO ROSSI
The performance was not fantastic, but I‘m in the top ten and this is good because we don‘t know what the conditions will be like tomorrow. With the softer tyre I thought I would be able to push a bit more and improve by some tenths, but with the race pace we are a bit far behind and we have to find something better. At the end of the practice we did some modifications that could be not so bad, so tomorrow we will try to understand if we‘re closer. I hope we can improve.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW MAKES A SOLID START IN QATAR
The 2017 MotoGP World Championship season got going under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit on Thursday evening as the first free practice session for the premier class took place. LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow put in a solid opening showing, despite some issues with his Honda RC213V, as he finished the day in seventh place.
The Briton – who is hoping to build on his two race victories in 2016 – endured an oil leak at the start of the session which hampered his progress. Further issues with the bike meant Crutchlow wasn’t at his best, but he still produced a very respectable result and ended the session less than half a second behind Dani Pedrosa in third spot.
As he did during the recent pre-season test in Qatar, young Spaniard Maverick Viñales topped the timesheets.
Cal Crutchlow – 7th
(1’55.639 – lap 15 of 15)
“It was not a bad day overall. Obviously, you could see we had a technical problem at the start, it was an oil leak due to a oil plug not properly tightened”.
“After that we tested a setting on which the bike was only meant to be ridden for one lap as it was an incorrect setting, and that meant I didn’t feel very comfortable and wasn’t able to ride at my best. But we are happy enough with our progress today and hopefully we can improve tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Jorge Lorenzo fifth and Andrea Dovizioso eleventh in FP1 on first day of practice for the Qatar GP at Losail
The opening free practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix was held this evening at the Losail International Circuit near the capital Doha.
The MotoGP field took to the track at 19.55 local time for 45 minutes of free practice, which for this opening round of the MotoGP World Championship, is traditionally held on the Thursday.
At the end of the session, Jorge Lorenzo was classified in fifth place, with a time of 1’55.607, while his Ducati Team team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, who celebrated his 31st birthday today, was two-tenths of a second behind with a time of 1’55.873, but in eleventh place.
Tomorrow evening will see the riders tackle the next two free practice sessions FP1 and FP2, at 18.00 and 20.55 local time respectively.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’55.607 (5th)
“Today’s result is quite good, but we are still some way off the fastest times. Our aim for tomorrow will be to try and find the same sensations with the hard tyre, with which we are still struggling to set some competitive times, and have the confidence required to achieve a good race pace.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’55.873 (11th)
“Today, as expected, the track conditions were not at their best, with wind and dirt during the only weekend session that will probably be dry before the race. At the start of the session I set a good time, and so I didn’t want to fit a soft tyre at the end because I thought I could stay in amongst the top ten: instead I missed out by a fraction. It was my mistake, and a pity because when I was using the same tyre as the others I was third, and so I know I am amongst the quickest riders.”