We are ready, to bring you, action, from the Moto2 race at Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar. Anything is possible when these riders line up on the grid. Four riders may fight for the win. Jonas Folger, Sam Lowes, Johann Zarco, and Alex Rins, are the four riders who could have the overall pace to fight for victory. Franco Morbidelli could be a dark horse. Jonas Folger, has earned his second Moto2 pole position for the race. He ran a 1:59.052, just beating Sam Lowes. He runs for Dynavolt Racing. Folger teams up with Sandro Cortese, a fellow German rider. We have a moment of humor. There is a person in the crowd, who looks like a dead ringer for Valentino Rossi. However, this gentleman who has come to watch the Moto2 race, is not, "The Doctor". So, don't anyone get too excited.
Jonas Folger and Sam Lowes are two riders who are incredibly quick. Lowes had two wrecks on Thursday and Friday. Alex Rins also had a qualifying wreck. But, it didn't matter. The Paginas Amirilias bike is ready. Can Johann Zarco defend his Moto2 champion again this year? He may make this his final season in Moto2. Could the Frenchman be a MotoGP rider, next year? Lorenzo Baldassari qualified seventh, but dislocated both shoulders. Baldassari won't race as the medics declared him unfit to do so. Marcel Schrotter has a new team this year, and wants to do well. He's got a braking issue with the motorcycle.
These riders, will need to be right on pace for the last six or seven laps of the race, in order to have a shot at winning it. Another one to watch, is Moto3 world champ, Danny Kent. He moves up this year, to Moto2. Kent wants a top ten, but also wants to learn. Marcel Schrotter starts seventh, and his team mate Axel Pons has struggled. He is injured slightly. He had a crash in testing here in Qatar, and is back to form, for this race. Alex Marquez is ready, although, his wrist is not feeling well. He's got front end chatter in the motorcycle, too.
Again, Jonas Folger, is on pole, and like last year, he wants to win the opening round of Moto2 2016. 29 riders will start, as the bikes are off on their warmup lap. All these motorcycles have the same racing tires from last year, and it's a even playing field. Let's have a fair, old fashioned race. Danny Kent, is back in Moto2 after trying to race these 600cc motorcycles in 2010. But, in 2010, that didn't work out as Kent had planned. Johann Zarco has done well this weekend, and is world champ in this division.
The bikes are on the warmup lap. Jonas Folger wants to be confident that he can try to win a championship. Here we go. Folger, Lowes, Rins in row one. Zarco, Morbidelli, Cortese. Row three, Marcel Schrotter, Takaaki Nakagami, and Tom Luthi. Green flag at the back of the field. When the lights go out, we are racing. Go! Some questionable starts, as Jonas Folger leads, and Alex Rins got an awesome start! Franco Morbidelli jumped the start. Some of the blokes on the front row were caught napping.
Franco Morbidelli jumped the start so convincingly, that it looked like a lot of other riders, missed the lights when they went out. The race stewards are surely going to look at replays of that start. We watch Takaki Nakagami as he makes a move on Sam Lowes. Tom Luthi said he needed a good start, and he did indeed get one! 20 laps scheduled for this Moto2 event. Jonas Folger is pulling away from his competition, by a country mile. Sam Lowes passes Nakagami for second. Tom Luthi is going for it, and Luthi passes Nakagami. Franco Morbidelli and Danny Kent have also had good starts.
Jonas Folger leads by over a second as Tom Luthi, moves into second position. Sam Lowes moves past. Franco Morbidelli passes Nakagami. Sandro Cortese is followed by Alex Rins. As the red lights went out, there were at least two or three blokes who jumped the start here. What will the stewards have to say about this little fracas? Zarco did jump the start, and so did Sam Lowes, Marcel Schrotter, and Alex Rins. This throws a huge spanner in the works. All of them will have to do a ride through penalty. Wow! Jonas Folger is increasing his lead. Zarco is in the lane for his ride through penalty. His title defense has gotten off to a difficult start.
Takaaki Nakagami and Robin Mulhauser, have also jumped the start. But, dear oh dear! Our leader, with a 1.5 second lead, Jonas Folger, has crashed! It's game over for Folger, unless he can restart the motorcycle, and get back into contention. No dice. Game over indeed. Halfway through the corner, the front end of the bike, washes out, and pow! Folger, is down for the count. He's out. Franco Morbidelli is your new leader, ladies and gentlemen. A bunch of riders have also come into the pits. Rins, Lowes, and Schrotter take their ride through penalties.
The only rider to get a clean getaway was Folger. But, he's out of it. Tom Luthi is now leading, fighting for victory with Franco Morbidelli. Also, Takaaki Nakagami will have a penalty ahead, from third. We have quite the top ten, behind Luthi in Morbidelli. But, Nakagami, as well as bike #70, Robin Mulhauser, will need to hit the sin bin to serve their penalties. Five riders in all jumped the start of this race. Franco Morbidelli is starting to push Tom Luthi for the lead. Nakagami's pit board is not showing he needs to pit. They are saying, "box", meaning pit.
Simone Corsi will be promoted. Jeepers! Franco Morbidelli and Tom Luthi almost crash into each other, and Luthi could have had his knee sheared off, if Morbidelli had been any closer! Don't try this at home kids, these boys are trained professionals. This lead battle, is scintillating! Could Franco Morbidelli get his first Moto2 win? Simone Corsi is also going for it. Takaaki Nakagami, has to pit, as Luthi passes Morbidelli again. Morbidelli is a scrapper, but so is Luthi. Alex Marquez has dropped to the back of the field.
A few riders have served their penalties. It did not pay off for Johann Zarco. Takaaki Nakagami, needs to pit for his penalty, as Robin Mulhauser has finished his penalty. Alex Rins can salvage a few points. Nakagami finally comes in. Forward Racing's Moto2 squad has not had the best weekend. Obviously, Lorenzo Baldassarri could not start this race, and his team mate Luca Marini, had a crash, which has caused severe knee pain. Seven laps complete. Nakagami has pitted. Hafizh Syahrin is up to fifth, just behind Sandro Cortese and Simone Corsi.
Oh dear! Alex Marquez, has crashed out. Sandro Cortese moves to third spot. Jonas Folger is definitely disappointed, running in the 1:59 range. Thirteen laps now remain in this race. Danny Kent is following Luis Salom at the moment, as Tom Luthi continues to lead over Franco Morbidelli. Sandro Cortese cannot put a gap on Simone Corsi. Alex Rins and Sam Lowes have clawed their way back into the top 20. We begin lap nine. Tom Luthi is one of the most experienced competitors in Moto2. Takaaki Nakagami is close behind Sam Lowes, and he's also been passed by Johann Zarco. Sam Lowes runs a 1:59 lap. Isaac Vinales and Alex Rins battle for 17th and 18th. Tom Luthi and Franco Morbidelli are battling for a win.
Hafizh Syahrin is running well. Morbidelli closes on Tom Luthi, and can't pass into turn one. Eleven laps left. Simone Corsi passes Sandro Cortese. Sam Lowes is carving his way through the field, resetting fastest lap at 1:59.611. Tom Luthi has won races, and in 2005, was a World Champion. Franco Morbidelli, has won a championship, but not at Grand Prix level. He won the European Super Stock 600 title in 2013. So, he has experience on one of these 600cc motorcycles, which are run in Moto2.
Franco Morbidelli is still proving to be a dark horse contender for this race. Morbidelli is close enough to take the lead away, from Luthi. Luthi runs a little wide, and Morbidelli, makes the pass. The laps are winding down, for Moto2, here in Qatar. Alex Marquez believes that there was an issue with the red lights at the start of this race. Corsi passes Cortese for third. Luis Salom, has moved into fifth place. He is ahead of Hafizh Syahrin, Danny Kent, and Axel Pons, with Dominique Aegerter also in contention.
Franco Morbidelli is comfortable at the front of this race. Alex Rins sets his personal best lap, and looks to be headed for a points scoring finish, with eight laps left. Seven or eight riders could have a good season, who are running in mid field at the moment. Simone Corsi holds third. Alex Rins sets his personal best lap. Rins is just behind Mattia Pasini. Rins, Lowes, and Zarco, they are together, but, they are quite down the order. Johann Zarco has passed Sam Lowes. You've got the good race, in the bottom part of the race order right now.
Morbidelli wants his first win. He had a podium at Indianapolis last year, but broke a leg, in a motocross wreck, when he and Valentino Rossi, were riding motocross bikes. Rossi took Morbidelli to the hospital. Morbidelli is a VR46 academy rider. Oh! Sam Lowes, makes the save of the century! His Moto2 motorcycle, became a bucking bronco for a second! Yikes! Lowes was way off in the grass. Working lap 14 of 20. Tom Luthi is going after Franco Morbidelli. Luthi's fastest lap so far is 2:00.389. Morbidelli's is working with New Zealand's Pete Benson, as crew chief. Benson won titles in MotoGP with Nicky Hayden in 2006, and with Tito Rabat, in 2014.
Luis Salom had a so so season last year. A train of bikes has emerged at the midfield including Hafizh Syahrin, Danny Kent, Axel Pons, Dominique Aegerter, and Xavier Simeon. Kent is clear of team mate and fellow Moto3 graduate, Miguel Oliveira. Oh dear! Franco Morbidelli and Sandro Cortese are under investigation for jumping the start, by the stewards. Morbidelli did jump the start, and hit the throttle before the red lights went out. Five laps left. Will Franco Morbidelli be disqualified? Tom Luthi does not have to take any unnecessary risks. But, there's some confusion here.
Xavier Simeon crashes out of the top ten, even though he has also been able to get back into the race. This race, has been quite the puzzle. Xavier Simeon has crashed, with five laps left. Nothing is being told to Franco Morbidelli, except for pertinent information. If he does not get penalized, he could win this thing. No word on whether Sandro Cortese jumped the start either. This is very, very confusing, and I have not seen this situation, in the five years I have followed MotoGP. If this all comes to fruition, seven of the first eight starters in this race, will have jumped the start.
If these guys were to be penalized, Louis Salom, would get a podium. It is too late for ride through penalties. Time penalties would be assessed. Axel Pons, has crashed. Four laps to go. Axel Pons has crashed. The bike didn't chuck him off. It went down, half pirouetted, and Pons just landed on the tarmac. Sam Lowes is now back into the points. Alex Rins has also moved back into the top ten in ninth spot. This is after a couple riders crashed out. This is like a very confusing movie. Nothing has really changed with the leaders as Simone Corsi is third right now. We will need a revolving door on the podium.
Two laps left under the floodlights. Sandro Cortese moves to third. Alex Rins runs ninth. Luca Marini has had a good debut in Moto2. Marini, is the half-brother of Valentino Rossi. Sam Lowes has taken eleventh from Miguel Oliveira. He is trying to follow Alex Rins. If Tom Luthi finishes, he'll get 20 points, or, perhaps, a win. He's under investigation. Corsi is ahead of Luis Salom. Sandro Cortese has plummeted to 16th. He's run the fastest lap of the race, as we start the last lap. Tom Luthi leads. Sandro Cortese and Franco Morbidelli did jump the start! There will be a 20 second penalty. Morbidelli is no longer fighting for the win! Tom Luthi, has this race, in the bag!
Oh my gosh! This is bizarre! Franco Morbidelli has no clue he'll have a penalty! 20 seconds applied. This is not done and dusted yet. It will be on track. But, the debate will rage, after the race. Luthi defends on the inside. Morbidelli tries. But, Tom Luthi, has won! Luis Salom is also on the podium! Salom is now second, with Simone Corsi, third. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this has been a bizarre motorcycle race. Morbidelli and Cortese jumped the start, as well as Sam Lowes, Alex Rins, and Johann Zarco. Morbidelli will be seventh.
#12 Tom Luthi CHE. Kalex
Sandro Cortese dropped back behind Corsi and Luis Salom. His penalty drops him to 15th. No doubt that Morbidelli and Cortese both jumped the start. Jonas Folger was the only rider who didn't jump the start. Sam Lowes finished ninth and earned fastest lap at a 1:59.4. Yikes! What a Moto2 race! The time penalties have been allotted. Luis Salom gets his first podium since 2014 at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. Simone Corsi has his first podium since the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, also in 2014.
Wow! What a race. The next Moto2 event, supports MotoGP, in Argentina, at Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo, in two weeks.
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