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      03-23-2015, 11:51 AM   #1
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[2015 FIM MotoGP™] Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar [03/29/2015]



Well, it's that time again! MotoGP regular season begins anew, again in Qatar.

The prep and testing was fun and exciting, all leading up to this coming weekend: Presason is now done, read all about it here:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1087022


So let's get to the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar



Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar
Losail International Circuit, Qatar




Laps: 22
Total Distance: 118.4 km - 73.5 miles
Length: 5.4 Km (3.34 miles)
Left Corners: 6
Right Corners: 10
Width: 12 meters (39.37 ft.)
Longest Straight: 1068 meters (3503.94feet)
Average Speed: 166.4 km/h
Top Speed: 348.3 km/h

About the circuit
The fabulous Losail International Circuit lies on the outskirts of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Built in little over a year, the track cost $58 million USD and required round-the-clock dedication from almost 1,000 workers in order to get it ready for the inaugural event - the Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar on the 2nd October 2004.

The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The main straight is over a kilometre in length and there is a good mix of medium and high-speed corners, including a couple of quick left-handers which has proved particularly popular with the riders.

In 2008 Qatar celebrated the first night time Grand Prix in history, following the construction of permanent outdoor lighting. The switch to night time racing was a success and has continued to be so, with the Qatar event now established as one of the most spectacular on the MotoGP calendar.

Circuit Records:

Fastest Lap
2008 - Jorge Lorenzo. Time: 1'53.927 and 170mph

Circuit Record
2008 - Casey Stoner. Time: 1'55.153 and 168.1

Best Pole
2008 - Jorge Lorenzo. Time: 1'53.927 and 170 mph

Top Speed
2014 - Andrea Dovisioso. Time ---- Speed: 348.3

Most Wins:
Casey Stoner (4)
Vale (3)
Jorge Lorenzo (2)

Most Poles:
Casey Stoner (4)
Jorge Lorenzo (3)
Marc Marquez (1)


SCHEDULE

03/26/15: Practice
MotoGP FP1 - 12:55 - 13:40

03/27/15: Practice
MotoGP FP2 - 11am-11:45am
MotoGP FP3 - 13:55 - 14:40

03/28/15: Qualifying
MotoGP FP4 - 12:55 - 13:25
MotoGP Q1 - 13:35 - 13:50
MotoGP Q2 - 14:00 - 14:15
03/28/15: Pre-Event (Press Conference @ 15:15)

03/29/15: RACE DAY
Moto3 Warmup - 08:50 - 09:10
Moto2 Warmup - 09:25 - 09:45
MotoGP Warmup - 10-10:20
Moto3 Race - 11:00
Moto2 Race - 12:20
MOTOGP RACE - 14:00.


Full Schedule here:




he 2015 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship kicks off this weekend with the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar.
The MotoGP™ paddock will arrive at the Losail International Circuit this week for the start of the 2015 season. After months of waiting the first round is upon us and what a season it promises to be, as already during preseason testing a few surprises have been thrown up and there are some big stories making the headlines.

Read the rest at MotoGP.com


Bridgestone has introduced new tire markings for this season






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      03-23-2015, 01:01 PM   #2
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      03-23-2015, 03:08 PM   #3
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Here's a good article from RTE about Eugene Laverty and his debut this upcoming weekend:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/motorsport/m...ebut-in-qatar/
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      03-23-2015, 03:10 PM   #4
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Other required reading:


Dovizioso: 2015 Ducati better than Stoner's MotoGP title winner
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/118159

Marquez the man to keep Honda happy
http://kfgo.com/news/articles/2015/m...p-honda-happy/

MotoGP Losail: Hayden: We have a huge challenge ahead 23 March 2015
'Clearly we still need to work on some areas, especially with the electronics, but hopefully I can do a good job in Qatar to make the team and my fans proud' - Nicky Hayden

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/216...nge-ahead.html

MotoGP Losail: Redding: Top six is 'realistic goal' at Losail 23 March 2015
Marc VDS Honda's Scott Redding believes a top-six finish in the Qatar MotoGP is within his reach on the RC213V

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/216...-in-qatar.html
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      03-24-2015, 09:10 AM   #5
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Previews

Marc Marquez:"I can’t wait for the season to begin! It’s been a long Winter and then testing was cut short in Qatar last week due to rain, which was very strange, but I’m confident going into this first race. This circuit isn’t one of my favourites but it’s still fun to ride and it marks the beginning of the Championship which is great. Let’s see how the conditions are after all the rain last week. As usual it will take a few sessions of the different classes on track to clear the racing line and then we will see how the grip level is. There are a lot of fast riders on fast bikes, as we saw during testing, so this first race weekend will be interesting for sure!"

Dani Pedrosa:
"Unfortunately, our testing programme in Qatar ended early due to the weather last week but overall I’m confident and happy to get the season started. Since Valencia the bike has improved a lot, so I thank HRC for all their work, and also my team, where we have some new members this year, have also clicked together more and we have a good working momentum. This first race weekend is always a little tough to get back into the rhythm and also with it being stretched over four days instead of three is quite tiresome. However, now we’re ready to get out on track and put all our hard work to the test."

Valentino Rossi:
"I am very happy to leave for the first race of the season after many days of testing. I am very satisfied about the tests. The bike has improved a lot, but we still have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately we could not finish the test due to rain and it will be important to resume work on the bike where we had stopped. It seems that in Qatar there will be many fast riders, so we‘ll all be very close in times. At least that's what the tests told us. I am very excited to start this season. I'm ready, I feel good and also my team is ready. They are all very motivated!”

Jorge Lorenzo:
“The pre-season is over and I look forward to racing as soon as possible. We‘ve completed a very positive preseason with some benefits in terms of new, mechanical parts and also in terms of performance. We did a great job in both the Sepang tests and we got some clear ideas how to improve the bike. Then we visited Qatar a few days ago but unfortunately there, a track that usually suits our YZR-M1 better, we struggled a bit to get the best set-up. Finally we lost the final day because of the rain and that was a pity, but now we face the first challenge of the championship, the real game, and we go to Losail eager to fight for the first victory. I want to forget what happened there one year ago with the crash in the first lap of the race. Fortunately this year we‘ll arrive in a better shape and we can do even better in the first part of the season so we are quite positive for the starting race.”

Nicky Hayden:
"The show is about to start and we are ready for a new season. Obviously I am not a rookie any more but I still feel the same level of excitement and I have the same desire as I do every season. We have a huge challenge on our hands so I am looking forward to getting started in the first race of the year. As we have seen during preseason the level in MotoGP this year is extremely high, which I think is a good thing for the championship. I really like the Losail circuit, it is fun to ride. It can be a little dirty at first but the grip improves as the weekend progresses and it is always fun to ride at night. The team have done a great job over the winter and we have made strong progress. Clearly we still need to work on some areas, especially with the electronics, but hopefully I can do a good job in Qatar to make the team and my fans proud."

Eugene Laverty:
"Pre-season testing has gone really well as we’ve made steady progress every time that I’ve ridden the bike. I’ve gelled really well with both the 'Open' Honda and the Drive M7 Aspar Team so I’m excited about the challenge that lies ahead of us. The final test at Losail finished really well, which bodes well for round one at the same circuit. It is difficult to say what my goal is in terms of overall position because the field is so strong this season. However, within the 'Open' category I want to be fighting for the top three positions from the beginning. I enjoy the Losail circuit and our bike suits the circuit very well so I want to start the season with a strong result."

Bradley Smith:
"Obviously, I am thrilled that we are racing again this weekend and it’s so good to get back on track! My off season was very productive and I did a lot of training to ensure that I am as prepared as possible for this year. I am also pleased with what we accomplished in the testing and I am excited about the potential of the Yamaha, plus the team and I did a lot of work, which I must thank them for. Realistically, there will be a few more tweaks that we need to do when we arrive, but we must hit the ground running and make the most of the available practice time in order to prepare for Sunday. I am confident of a good result here and will certainly be looking to battle as close as possible to the factory bikes. I’m already gritting my teeth with anticipation for Sunday’s race and I can’t wait to get going."

Pol Espargaro:
Pol Espargaro - 2015"It’s finally time to get the wheels in motion for 2015 and I am very excited to contest in the first race. We have had a positive pre season and the bike is at a level that I am happy with, but of course it will be a challenging race and this year, I am under no illusions that it will be easy to finish close to the front. There will be a lot more riders who can fight for podiums and top positions when compared to the previous years
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Scott Redding:
"This year, getting a bike which can win races has given me a big boost. I'd like to go top six or top seven in the championship, get closer to the frontrunners at every race, and it'd be nice to get on the podium once or twice during the season." and later

"In the beginning, my crew chief was a bit on the fence when I said 'just let me ride the bike, don't change anything' during the first test in Sepang.

"We didn't change a click on the suspension, the springs or anything. We just rode the bike and gave it tyres and fuel.

"Even now riding the bike, I feel like I'm not pushing it to 100 per cent of its potential, so we haven't really changed anything, which is why we could have done with the extra day of testing.

"Aside from that, we're happy with how it's all gone so far."


Alvaro Bautista:
“After the winter tests it's finally time to get back to racing! Every time a new season begins it is very exciting and in this case it's even more so because it is also the beginning of our challenge together with Aprilia. This first round actually represents the natural continuation of testing for us: in fact, our primary goal is to develop the bike, no matter what the results are on the track, and it's pointless to focus on those right now. The tests were important for identifying the basic technique to start with. We'll take on the Grand Prix resuming our hard work to keep growing and improving my sensations in the saddle. There is a lot of work to be done, but that doesn't frighten us. To the contrary, the whole team is very united and motivated to make progress. I like the Losail track and I obviously also hope to have fun this weekend!”

Marco Melandri:
“For me this weekend is the start of a new challenge: returning the MotoGP after several years of absence will not be a walk in the park and I am well aware that the first Grand Prix races will not be simple for me, but I am confident that I'll be able to make progress throughout the season until I find the right feeling to be fast. Unfortunately, besides the time needed to adapt to a completely new technical package compared to the one I was accustomed to, my winter tests were also hindered by physical problems. I had been taking antibiotics until three days ago because of a pesky flu and I still haven't fully recovered. But in any case I hope to be fit for the race weekend where I will give it 100% as always along with my team which is supporting me in the best possible way.”
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POLL:


Who do you think will win this race? List your top 5 finishing order!

1. Marquez
2. Rossi
3. Dovizioso
4. Lorenzo
5. Someone else (Explain yourself)
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      03-26-2015, 02:57 PM   #8
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Numbers are coming in
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A 1'55.281 had Marquez leading from DP and the Honda pair split by just 0.078s
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      03-26-2015, 03:11 PM   #10
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Wow Crutchlow coming back strong
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      03-27-2015, 08:52 AM   #11
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Well this made my day:

Stoner is making a comeback to racing!!!!

He'll compete in July in the Suzuka 8 Hours which is a WSBK event but still - here he comes again

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2015...Suzuka+8+Hours

"After riding the bike in Sepang a few months ago, I've been speaking closely with Honda about the possibility to take part in Suzuka," the 29-year-old said.

"It's always been an event I wanted to do and something I was never able to consider when I was racing in MotoGP, due to our busy schedules, so I'm really looking forward to taking part."

Stoner said the bike, the Suzuka CBR1000RR, was very different to a MotoGP machine, but labelled it a "new challenge and a chance for me to try something new and unlike what I've been used to in my racing".

"Now I need to concentrate on my training to be ready for the race," he said.
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      03-27-2015, 02:01 PM   #13
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The Ducks are fast. But watch out for Suzuki.
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      03-28-2015, 09:53 AM   #14
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I don't understand why I can't watch this race in HD until Monday. Fox sports sucks!
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Hell yeah! Last season was great (IMO) this year looks like there's good competition. Enjoy the race guys!

Go Rossi!
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      03-29-2015, 03:15 PM   #16
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No spoiler here for the guys who haven't seen the race yet, but the moto3 & moto2 races were great.
The Moto GP was AMAZING!!!!! And the best man won
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      03-29-2015, 05:24 PM   #17
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Cracker of a race. Roll on Rossi!
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      03-29-2015, 09:47 PM   #18
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Quote:
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Cracker of a race. Roll on Rossi!
Whoah!! Look who's back!
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      03-30-2015, 10:37 AM   #19
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I think it's enough time now not to spoil anything plus if you've seen some of the comments well, you know. If not, still an AWESOME race and great, great start to the 2015 season

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This was a cool onboard courtesy of Yamaha at Losail


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      03-30-2015, 10:42 AM   #21
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One of my favorite parts of MotoGP are the lovely Paddock Girls and this year's do not disappoint!

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      03-30-2015, 11:09 AM   #22
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Quote:
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Quote:
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Cracker of a race. Roll on Rossi!
Whoah!! Look who's back!
I had to come back and talk Motorsports with you man.
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