Red Bull Motorsports
MotoGP
Relive the MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar through the riders' social media
The protagonists tell us what went down in the first race of the season in the International Circuit of Losail in Doha.
The MotoGP World Championship 2018 kicked off in Doha on Sunday, with Andrea Dovizioso taking his 18th career victory ahead of Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi.
Scroll down to gauge the riders’ reactions to all the action.
It has been the perfect race and the perfect weekend.
“There were very fast guys out there," Dovi said. "I didn’t begin too well but I kept my cool. Marc did something unreal to stay with me, but I'm happy because I was able to manage the last corner in the perfect way and got the victory."
Marquez was also happy after the race: “We put on a good show today," he said. "I'm really happy to finish in second place at this track because it is one of the most difficult ones for me on the calendar. I am happy for these 20 points.”
I knew that I was on the limit and 20 points is still nice.
Valentino Rossi finished third: “I have good feeling with this year’s bike. In the last period of the race the fastest riders on the track were Dovizioso and Márquez, so we stayed with them until the end and it's a good way to start.”
I’m happy, but I wanted even more.
Alex Rins and Jorge Lorenzo, both crashed.The Team Suzuki Ecstar rider, Rins, crashed down in turn two, while Lorenzo crashed during the fifth lap. Both riders were okay.
Pol Espargaró of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, had some technical issues on his bike, but the feeling within the KTM team remains positive.
Johann Zarco on pole
Against all odds, Johann Zarco was faster than Márquez during qualifying. The Frenchman quipped that he wouldn’t mind being on the same team as Márquez!
Zarco, Márquez and Danilo Petrucci were faster than the 2008 record held by Lorenzo. Márquez praised Zarco’s performance, but the Spaniard knew that Dovizioso was the man to beat.
After an exciting 2017 season, this year promises to be even more enthralling based on the opening round in Qatar.
Moto2
Francesco Bagnaia took the victory in the Moto2 championship's opener. The Italian won in Qatar ahead of Lorenzo Baldasarri and Alex Márquez.
Moto3
Jorge Martín is the favourite in the Moto3 championship. The Del Conca Gresini Moto3 rider battled with fellow Spaniard Aron Canet. It seems Martín is on his way to winning the 2018 championship, even though the season has only just begun.
