Larry Lawrence | March 18, 2018
2018 Qatar MotoGP Sunday Results
27-100ths of a second that was the difference Sunday between Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso and Honda’s Marc Marquez in the 2018 MotoGP season opener at the Loasail Circuit in Qatar. Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi finished a close third, putting three different brands on the rostrum.
Andrea Dovizioso (04), Marc Marquez (93) and Valentino Rossi (46) put on a thrilling late-race battle in the 2018 MotoGP opener in Qatar. It was the Ducati rider Dovi, who edged Marquez and Rossi to earn his ninth-career MotoGP victory. (Gold & Goose photo)
It marked Dovi’s ninth-career MotoGP win.
Marquez got a great start on the Repsol Honda and led a tightly-bunched pack on the first lap. Pole winner Johann Zarco then took over on lap two and held the lead under relentless pressure for 16 laps of the 22-lap final. Crafty veteran Rossi made the early moves, working his way from eighth on the starting grid to second in just six laps.
With five laps to go Dovizioso, who’d gotten a poor start and ran seventh on lap one, methodically made his way through a talented field of front runners. With five laps to go Dovi completed his amazing drive by putting his factory Ducati into the lead. Marquez immediately followed his archrival Dovi past Zarco, setting up a riveting race closing.
2018 Qatar MotoGP Sunday Results
Can you tell Andrea Dovizioso was thrilled with his Qatar MotoGP victory? (Gold & Goose photo)
On the final lap Marquez was able to take a brief lead on Dovi, but the Ducati rider attacked right back and he was able to power to the finish line just barely edging Marquez for the victory. Rossi was in a great position had either of the front runners made a mistake, but they didn’t and Rossi crossed the line just 7-10ths of a second back in third on the Movistar Yamaha.
Cal Crutchlow was solid all race and brought the LCR Castrol Honda home in fourth. Danilo Petrucci rounded out the top five on his Alma Pramac Racing Ducati.
Zarco, who led more laps than anyone in Qatar, slipped badly in the closing laps and finished eighth.
Former world champ Jorge Lorenzo crashed out of the race 13 laps in while running tenth.
The MotoGP circus will now head to Argentina on April 6-8, for the second round of what is set to be a phenomenal MotoGP season.
For additional information on the championship visit: www.motogp.com
2018 Qatar MotoGP Sunday Results
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Race Classification
Doha, Sunday, March 18, 2018
