With concern over the coronavirus flu epidemic around the world, MotoGP opens their season in Qatar at the Losail circuit, without the top class riders here. Moto2 and Moto3, the junior categories, will race, and we have coming up now, the Moto2 event. Joe Roberts, the young American racer, starts from pole here in Qatar, a place he's never been. This is a chap we will keep our eyes on. We have Leigh Diffey and Ben Bostrom (former motorcycle racer) as commentators for this race and the whole season. As many of us know, there will be no races at Qatar or in Thailand. We will wait for April 5th, at Circuit of the Americas. Moto2 and Moto3 were already in Qatar, testing.
Marc Marquez has been dealing with a shoulder injury, correction, shoulder surgery. He will be ready to race, multi-time World Champ. Moto2 is ready to roll as Joe Roberts has his first pole for American Racing Team. Roberts is the only American in the championship. Kenny Noyes was the last Moto2 rider from the United States to go for it. Ben Bostrom has been in that position before, again, he will be calling this motorcycle race with Leigh Diffey. Now, he is not related to the Roberts family, Kenny Sr. and Kenny Jr. Those two are motorcycle racing legends. Now, Joe Roberts will be alongside Luca Marini on the front row of the grid.
In practice, Remy Gardner had a huge high side and he thankfully recovered from it. Remy Gardner is the son of 1987 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Gardner. Marc Marquez is reigning world champion and he is the bloke to beat. He's been the rider to beat. Marc Marquez is catching Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. He surpassed Mick Doohan's win total last year and Mick Doohan congratulated him. Marc Marquez has won six MotoGP championships, and will be going for number seven. He has tenacity. He's incredible.
He suffered shoulder injuries. Last year he flew off the motorcycle several times. You are wrestling a 350 pound motorcycle and you have to really be cautious and not force the bike so you don't go down. Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso wants to win a championship. The poor bloke has been a bridesmaid for three years. The Italian on the Ducati, he wants it. We also need to watch Yamaha's Maverick Vinales. He is the next superstar. He's won races and he's coming into his own to try and beat Marc Marquz. Valentino Rossi is a legend, a veteran. Yamaha has said that he has a chance to race again, but this might be his final year, he is a legend, a seven-time champion.
Now, back to Moto2, Joe Roberts is ready to go for it. Former MotoGP racer John Hopkins is mentoring Roberts and he's ready to roll. Now, we don't know if we will see Moto3. Yours truly will write something about Moto3, but the scoop is, Moto2 is where our focus will be today in Qatar. Reigning Moto2 Champion is Alex Marquez. He and his brother will both be racing for Repsol Honda. Ben Bostrom and his brother Eric raced together and were both champions. It'll be interesting to see the Marquez brothers racing on the same team. Again, we also have to talk about Joe Roberts, beginning his third full season in Moto2. He set a new lap record in Free Practice and he is improving for 2020 right out of the box. This is the weekend of Joe Roberts' career. He is in prime position to spark his career and put it into overdrive. It'll be time to race, next!
The MotoGP race in Thailand has been postponed to fall. We will see it later. Let's join our booth commentators, Steve Day and Matt Birt. We look at the starting grid. Most riders are going with the super soft tire. The weather is cold here in Moto2. The warmup lap is underway. The wind speed has dropped as we look at a 20 lap contest. Luca Marini is one of Joe Roberts' rivals. Italian riders have won this race the last three years. Luca Marini will be another rider to look at along with Joe Roberts. It's time to race. A good number of MotoGP riders are keeping an eye on the Moto2 boys.
Here we go. the moment is now! New decade. we have the lights. Red lights on. Red lights out. Go! Luca marine starts well and Joe Roberts is OK. Enea Bastianini goes to second. Jorge Martin is moving into the top three. Luca Marini is leading and here comes Remy Gardner. Lorenzo Baldassari and Xavi Vierge are moving up on the Red Bull KTM bikes. Bo Bendsneyder, Tom Luthi, and others are moving up. Jorge Martin, 2018 Moto3 champ is up there as well. Enea Bastianini had a collision in Austria with one of his rivals last year and he was totally destroyed. No KTM involvement in Moto2 this year. They are running Kalex chassis'.
Luca Marini is back at the front. Marcos Ramirez has crashed and he was a winner in Moto3 but it is game over for him no. Tom Luthi is moving up and Aron Canet has moved up past Bo Bendsnyder. Fabrizio Di Giantonio has also gone down. End Bastianini, Jorge martin, Remy Gardner, Joe Roberts, lots of good riders up at the sharp end. Enea Bastianini gets his pocket picked by Jorge Martin. Jorge Navarro as well has been pushing hard. Lorenzo Baldassari has moved up once again as well. Jorge Martin was a rookie in Moto2 last year.
Augusto Fernandez has crashed his bike. He and his team at Marc VDS, the reigning world champs will have nil points on the board. Augusto Fernandez is moving up as Joe Roberts goes by Enea Bastianini. Former Moto3 racer Marcos Ramirez is Joe Roberts' team mate. 1:59.510 for Japan's
Jorge Martin has to gain more confidence with the new Kalex chassis. Xavi Vierge is moving up. Joe Roberts moves up as we watch in replay, Augusto Fernandez ditching his bike. That was a coming together. Good scrap between Enea Bastianini and Lorenzo Baldassari.
Luca Marini is going for it and so is Xavi Vierge. Joe Roberts is learning well how to race. Luca Marini is a favorite and Roberts has to keep the bloke honest. You cannot buy experience. Luca Marini rides for Valentino Rossi's Sky VR46 team. Xavi Vierge is running well but poor old Remy Gardner is fading. He's moving backwards. Tom Luthi is also way down and so is Marcel Schrotter. The German is down in 15th. Marini is pressing Roberts. Roberts tries to pass and runs wide. Luca Marini is surely under pressure at this stage.
Ben Spies, former American Superbike champ, is also giving Joe Roberts some good advice. Tetsuya Nagashima of Japan runs eighth. Baldassari and Nagashima are both trading fast laps. 1:59.285 and chasing Italian Marco Vassechi. Enea Bastianini is fifth and Xavi Vierge is following him. Jorge Martin had a good launch at the start. Working lap eight as Joe Robert sis going try to pass Luca Marini. Roberts, biding his time. Baldassari moves past Bastianini. It's the battle of the Italians. Nagashima runs in another fast lap, 1:59.218. Lorenzo Baldassari is in podium contention as Jorge Navarro and Remy Gardner battle each other, not even at halfway yet.
Game over for Remy Gardner's team mate. He's down at turn seven. Luca Marini is 3/10ths ahead of Joe Roberts as we head for halfway. Marini knocks down his personal best at 1:59.949. Luca Marini has pulled the pin, running 1:59.509. Marini is booking it trying to break away from the rest of the field. Bastianini, Baldassari, Vierge, and Martin are battling for position. Remy Gardner is running the same pace as Luca Marinin while Bo Bendsneyder is 12th. Marini and Roberts separated by 8/10ths of a second. Luca Marini is whistling off into the distance.
Jorge Navarro is struggling right now with Gardner and Vassechi. Bastianini has Baldassari all over him like el cheapo suito here. It's an Italian 1-2-3 or might be, but Joe Roberts is clawing time back hand over fist. Roberts has the harder front tire and the rest have the Super Soft Dunlop front tire. Tire management is key with eight laps left. Baldassari and Bastianini made contact. All is fair in love and war. Jorge Navarro is seventh. Marini runs 1:59.9 and the Japanese rider, Nagashima, he is going even faster, looking for his first world championship podium.
Tetsuta Nagashima goes to fourth. His buddy, Takaaki Nakagami is watching, and he waits to ride in MotoGP with his Idemitsu team. Roberts wants by Marini but can't quite get there as Jorge Navarro goes by Xavi Vierge. Nagashima is flying. He is on the #45 Red Bull KTM. Here comes the kitchen sink from the Californian as Roberts is flying and so is Jorge Navarro. Roberts wants by Baldassari. You have to give the big boys a taste of their own medicine. Navarro cuts the fastest lap, 1:59.4. The finish will be bonkers. Baldassari was napping and gets passed by Nagashima. Navarro also wants it. Nagashina almost gets chopped!
Marini makes a mistake. Baldassari thought he had it. Nope. It's Roberts! You can't take your eyes off this one! Marco Vassechi is pressing as well. Has Marini gone too soon? Has he busted his tires? Baldassari won the Spanish Grand Prix last year but was nowhere for the rest of 2019. Five laps to go as Bastianini is monstering Joe Roberts. Five laps to go. Baldassari leads the motorcycle race. Baldassari, the Italian is trying to bolt. He and Roberts both go wide playing a near game of chicken. Jorge Navarro on the Speed Up is in there, and so is Remy Gardner.
Poor old Luca Marini is losing pace and grip. Nagashima passes Roberts. Bastianini is pressing Baldassari. Who will it be in Qatar? Nothing between the top five. Three laps to go. Baldassari leads and here comes Bastianaini and Nagashima! He wants it but he's trapped in the sandwich. Remy Gardner is coming back, too. Aron Canet is flying as well, the Moto2 rookie, former Moto3 racer. Get the kitchen sink and unbolt it. Turn off the water. Enea Bastianini passes Lorenzo Baldassari. ItalTrans and their team looking on. Nagashima has blasted those blokes! 1:59.3. Marcel Schrotter and Remy Gardner are pushing.
We have a lap or so to go. Can anyone reel in Tetsuya Nagashima? He leads by a second. Gardner wants by Jorge Navarro. Nagashima has pulled a 1:59.2 out of the hat. Remy Gardner wants his first Moto2 podium. Nagashima has never won a race. Shoya Tomizara, who won in 2010, and then passed away, was the last rider from Japan to win an opening race of a season, a decade ago. Remy Gardner closes on Joe Roberts and poor old Luca Marini is down in 13th. He was in the lead but then his race went pear shaped. Tetsuya Nagashima wins for the first time in Moto2. Nagashima wins Moto2 in Qatar! Poor old Luca Marini has crashed and he's holding his wrist. Could he be hurt?
Nagashima flew! He has tears in his eyes, thinking about Tomazawa who was the winner of the first Moto2 race a decade ago. Joe Roberts didn't get the jump he wanted. He started from his first pole and didn't lose too much time. Roberts has a huge level of confidence and he learned a ton. The fight towards the end, as you've seen was incredible. Nagashima was the bloke who scooted away from everyone. The late Shoya Tomizawa won his one and only Moto2 race here in Qatar a decade ago and Nagashima San has fond memories of Shoya.
John Hopkins is his mentor. No MotoGP until April 5th at Circuit of the Americas. See you on April 5th for MotoGP in Texas. So long for now.
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