Qatar GP: Enea Bastianini stuns MotoGP grid to win an emotional season opener under lights in Losail

Bengaluru/Doha, March 6: Enea Bastianini clinched an emotional season-opening Qatar GP under lights at the Losail International Circuit as the Gresini Racing rider served an early warning to his rivals in the 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship season which began with a bang in Qatari capital.

His win came just a year after the death of much-adored Fausto Gresini.

The Italian, who was was starting on the front row for the first time in the premier class, had already set his sights on a podium finish and lived up to his expectations in Doha.

The 24-year-old clocks 42min 13.198sec in the 22-lap race with Brad Binder finishing second and Pol Espargaro rounding off the podium.

Aleix Espargao finished fourth with six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez ending up fifth while defending champion Fabio Quartararo had a dismal start to the season finishing ninth.

Qatar GP: Martin on pole, Ducatis take a 1-2 to deny Honda

Pole sitter Jorge Martin was many of the riders to crash out in the season opener in the outskirts of the city with many pundits suggesting that this could be the closest, hardest fought season ever in MotoGP with the tone ane tenor being set on Sunday (March 6) evening.

The two Suzukis finish a low key sixth and seventh -- 2020 champion Joan Mir leading team-mate Alex Rins by 3.9s.

Quartararo looked set to take home P8 but Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), on the run to the line, demoted the reigning champion to P9.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) picked up P10 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) finished a lonely 12th.

The sound of Grand Prix motorcycles rumbling out of pitlane in Qatar was finally around the corner. 2022 is here and what a season it is shaping up to be!

Qatar GP: Jorge Martin grabs pole, Marquez third

If last year's races just a stone's throw away from Doha are anything to go by, then the season-opening Qatar GP was truly sensational.

With Losail (which hosts the only night-race of the 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship season) floodlights beaming, the premier class got straight to work and the lap times fell. Way to go!

TOP 10 RESULTS

1. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP)
2. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.346
3. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 1.351
4. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 2.242
5. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 4.099
6. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 4.843
7. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 8.810
8. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 10.536
9. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 10.543
10. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 14.967

Bastianini all the way

With the other Ducatis were forced to retire due to technical issues, it was Bastianini all the way in Qatar.

"For the first time, I'll start on the front row. I'm very happy. We did a very good job because it was difficult to go on the second qualifying. I did one error in the last sector, but I did a very good lap and I think we can battle for the podium," Bastianni had said after grabbing the second position on the grid in the qualifiers and he did exactly that.

Paying tributes

"I think now it's incredible," said Bastianini, the Moto2 champion in 2020.

"At the end Pol (Espargaro) was really close to me. I understood that now I could try to win the race, and I overtook Pol on the first corner after he went out."

Bastianini paid tribute to the team's founder Fausto, a double 125cc world champion who died aged 60 last year die to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "I dedicate this victory to Fausto. He pushed me a lot from the skies, and it's fantastic for all the team. I think we've all been crying."

Martin crashes

Qatar GP poleman Martin who had already admitted that he needs something else to be able to battle for a second MotoGP victory in the opening round of the 2022 season crashed out.

The Spaniard had registered his fifth career MotoGP pole when he stormed to a 1m53.011sec lap in qualifying session, but the race day proved to be a different cup of tea for the 24-year-old.

Marquez and Honda!

Meanwhile, Honda's Marquez ended fifth after starting third on the grid. "This is enough for me and I'm happy with that pace because it's true that I'm not the fastest guy out there but I can fight for top positions - not for winning," the Honda rider said.

What a night under the Losail lights! Surprises and drama aplenty! The MotoGP caravan moves to Mandalika for the Indonesia GP to be held on March 20. Revv up!