The Ducati Lenovo Team has come out victorious in the Qatar GP race thanks to two-time reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who put together a perfect performance from start to finish. Enea Bastianini was fifth in the 21-lap, first full race of the season.
Bagnaia had a great start from fifth place on the grid and was third entering turn one, before making his way to first position in a matter of a few corners. Thanks to a fast and consistent pace, Pecco kept himself safely in the lead while managing his margin and – at the same time – preserving the tyres, eventually crossing the finish line 1.3secs ahead of his closest rival.
After riding in fourth place as the MotoGP field stormed through turn one, Bastianini lost a few places in the opening laps but was able to recover some back in the remainder of the encounter. With two laps left, he made a successful overtake on Alex Márquez, which granted him fifth position at the chequered flag.
Thanks to today’s win, Pecco is now leading the championship standings with 31 points, while Enea is currently fifth – 16 points in arrears.
The Ducati Lenovo team will be back in action on March 22-24 at Portimão’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“We used a different strategy today, after the excellent work done with the team during warm up. Everything went perfectly: I tried to brake hard and waiting an extra moment in order to not use the rear too much and ended the race in the best possible condition. I started a bit slower lap-time wise and then started a bit more as the laps went by. When I saw another rider getting closer, I tried to pull away a bit more and everything went according to plan. Even on this occasion, the team has done an incredible job.”
Enea Bastianini (#23 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th
“We’re half happy. It was a difficult race: I couldn’t get the bike stopped the way I wanted and that prevented me from pushing hard. Then I tried to save the tyres for the final laps, but in hindsight it wasn’t the right choice, as the drop was a lot lower compared to yesterday. It’s a shame because I could have surely done something better, but I must settle with this finishing position. Our expectations were higher, but we’ll try to do better in the next race; once we get to Portimão, we will have a clearer picture on how to make a further step forward.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“Pecco did a good job and had a great start. He took some risks in the opening lap, and he did well in doing so. The way he managed the race was impeccable and he did everything he had to do in order to keep the rivals at bay, while staying focused and preserving the tyres. His race craft was simply perfect, there’s nothing he could have done better, and the same applies to the team. He’s a great champion and we’re happy that he’ll be with us for the upcoming years. Enea also did a great race: he finished in the top five and I’m sure he will give us a lot of satisfaction because he’s been working very well with his crew.”
- From Ducati Media House
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