Racing motorcycles and pushing the limits of speed are what MotoGP riders do best. The time has come for the 2015 season to get underway in Qatar this weekend. Not only will the race weekend feature the likes of Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo… it will also feature Moto2 riders including Johann Zarco, Tito Rabat, Alex Marquez and Tom Luthi. Whilst, the Moto3 category features new team entries including the Drive M7 SIC Racing Team who started off on the right foot.
The MotoGP Championship in 2015 is guaranteed to have the spills and thrills that make fans of the sport scream out loud and cheer. The race in Qatar will test the rider’s abilities as the temperatures soar, the track becomes faster and more challenging when the Bridgestone tyres wear thin. The Losail International Circuit measures 5.4km in length, features a long straight of 1km, has 16 turns, is 12m in width and will be powered by 3,600 light bulbs in the desert.
The expectations for the first race of the season are extremely high. Both Repsol Honda MotoGP Team and Movistar Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team are similar in pace, race simulation and speed. Jorge Lorenzo is feeling up to the task of chasing down Marc Marquez. In a recent interview with Formula Magazine Lorenzo said “Well, I’m very excited compared to last year because I’m right now in a really good shape and I’m really curious to find out where we stand currently in front of our competitors.”
Lorenzo has shredded his body weight and is the fittest he has ever been in the premier class. Whilst, Dani Pedrosa feels as though 2015 may be his year after strong performances in both the Sepang and Qatar testing sessions. In a recent interview with Formula Magazine Dani said “I think we can still improve and make steps during the first few races. This is very positive.”
Then you have the rookies of the MotoGP season including “Jackass” Jack Miller and Maverick Vinales. The two riders have boosted up their profiles since entering MotoGP and have enjoyed the lead up to the start of the season. Jack an Australian rider from Townsville is onboard an open class Honda, whilst Maverick sits onboard a factory Suzuki machine. The battle for rookie of the year is on!
On the other side of the coin, you have the new Aprilia Racing Team Gresini who is not looking too flash for points in the first few rounds according to Alvaro Bautista. “I know that Qatar will be a really tough race because the bike will still not be perfect.”
Make sure to also be on the look out for Australian rider Remy Gardner who is onboard the CIP Moto3 bike with teammate Tatsuki Suzuki. Remy is the son of World Champion Motorcyclist Wayne Gardner and is aiming to start the season off with a top result.
Let the racing begin!
