Enea Bastianini bettered his second position grid start with victory in the Qatar Grand Prix as Gresini Racing celebrated an emotional MotoGP debut.
The Italian tears were flowing freely in Parc Fermé as Fausto Gresini was remembered in the most poignant way possible after a stunning ride from the 24-year-old and the first victory for a female-led team in the premier class. Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder and Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro joining the podium party in second and third after a thrilling 22-lap season opener.
HRC’s Marc Marquez lined up for the first race of his tenth MotoGP season from the front row alongside Jorge Martin on pole and Bastianini’s sensational second, the Gresini rider having already topped morning warm up on Sunday and showing phenomenal form. Repsol Honda’s radical revolution continued to prove its mettle in qualifying as Espargaro joined his teammate for fourth with elder brother Aleix and Ducati’s Jack Miller completing row two.
Tyre choice proved a complicated decision with the grid divided between the soft and medium rear with only the four KTM riders and LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami opting for Michelin’s medium front.
The longest race season in MotoGP history fired up with the most competitive grid to date as Marquez stole the holeshot. Espargaro ensured it was a Repsol lockout out front with Binder storming through to third, from seventh, at the opening corner.
Bastianini sat in fourth from the leading Aprilia as the race unfolded and the factory Ducatis went uncharacteristically backwards. Jack Miller sat ninth, behind poleman Martin and Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo with Pecco Bagnaia running 14th while Suzuki enjoyed opposing fortunes. Joan Mir launching up to fourth, from eighth, by lap two.
Espargaro bettered his experienced teammate in the opening stages and seemed comfortable out front as lap three developed. Binder holding off an aggressive Mir for the final podium position with Bastianini keeping his cool in fifth.
Bagnaia advanced to the top ten midway through the third revolution with Quartararo, Alex Rins and Martin ahead, his Lenovo garage mate dropping to 12th with Alex Marquez slotting in between the hybrid Ducati GP’s.
A disappointing start found the second factory Yamaha of Franky Morbidelli outside the points in 16th, Johann Zarco likewise struggling in 17th as Mooney VR46 rookie Marco Bezzecchi impressed from 14th. The Italian seemed firmly in the grove as he outpaced Miller for position next time around with KTM’s Miguel Oliveira the next in his sights.
Darryn Binder enjoyed his opening action in the premier class having leapfrogged Moto2 in his accelerated career path. The South African circulating three places ahead of his RNF Yamaha teammate Andrea Dovizioso from 19th with Maverick Viñales and Moto2 Champion Remy Gardner on his tail.
Elder brother Brad was making moves out front as he bettered Marquez for second in the leading group, Bastianini emulating the form as he too captured third from the eight-time champ having already dispatched 2020 title winner Mir.
Miller’s day went from difficult to despairing as the Ducati slid to the back of the pack, Bezzecchi joining him after crashing out at the final corner and the Australian entered the pits with electronic issues.
Aleix Espargaro progressed the RS-GP into fifth with 15 laps to go as Mir dropped into the path of teammate Rins. Bagnaia bettering his 2021 rival Quartararo for ninth shortly after as Martin trailed the Suzuki pair for eighth.
The younger Espargaro pushed the pace out front as the race neared the halfway stage, Binder answering with a 1’54.4 from second, as Bastianini continued to match the pair in third. The elder brother began to reel in the front runners as he too upped the anti, shaving tenths off Marquez with 12 laps to go as Oliveira’s race ended early at turn one.
Drama ensued at the start of the next lap as Bagnaia wiped out Martin at turn one and Ducati’s night continued to implode. Bastianini flying the Bologna flag on the GP 2021 as he chopped past the KTM for second, saving a moment at turn six as he looked to bridge the 1.2s gap to Espargaro out front with the pair hitting red sectors next time around.
Seven laps to go and Quartararo continued a lonely race from eighth, over two seconds of clear air either side of the Frenchman with teammate Morbidelli three places back in 11th.
Marquez began to come under pressure from the leading Aprilia as the next lap began, Espargaro holding out for a family affair on the podium as he cut the gap to a mere tenth, the opportunity finally coming in the penultimate corner as he captured fourth.
A twitch from Bastianini with five laps left to play proved how hard the Italian was pushing, 0.088s away from the leader and determination etched on his face. The move finally came down the home straight with Espargaro running wide at the first corner and Binder capitalising quickly as the Spaniard dropped from first to third.
Gresini Racing looked to be on for its maiden victory in the premier class as an independent team, one year on from losing its founding force, Fausto Gresini, and with Team Principal Nadia Padovani nervously watching on. Bastianini holding a 1.3s lead with two laps to go.
The brotherly battle for the final podium place began with Aleix half a second behind Pol as further back Zarco started to reel in his countryman on the YZR-M1 for eighth.
With the entire paddock holding its breath, Bastianini met the flag with just three-tenths separating him from the fast approaching Binder, for the most emotional debut victory of MotoGP. Pol Espargaro holding off his brother for the final podium celebrations with Marquez crossing the line for fifth.
Suzuki secured sixth and seventh as Zarco outpaced Quartararo by 0.007s for the top eight, Nakagami taking tenth from Morbidelli, Viñales and Luca Marini with Dovizioso and Gardner collecting the final points positions. Binder heading the trio of rookies at the back of the pack as Fabio di Giannantonio and Raul Fernandez completed their first Grand Prix in the premier class.
