2016 Qatar Moto2 Results
Entering its sixth season as the class that replaced the former 250cc two-stroke class, Moto2 got underway Sunday under the floodlights of Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The class, which uses spec-Honda 600cc engines, has had a different champion each year, the latest being France’s Johann Zarco.
The Ajo Motorsports Kalex pilot Zarco was a favorite ahead of 2016 Moto2, but due to penalty for jumping the start, Zarco was only able to finish 12th. This type of drama was the present from the beginning of Qatar Moto2, but did not affect the first Moto2 winner of 2016 – Thomas Luthi.
Early on in the 20-lap race, the Garage Plus Interwetten Kalex pilot was able to capitalize on the mistakes of others. He then battled with one of the most aggressive riders ever – Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS’s Franco Mobidelli – and lost the race. But Morbidelli was later penalized, giving Luthi the win.
Luthi officially won the race by 9.610 seconds ahead of SAG Team Kalex’s Luis Salom. Taking the final podium was Speed Up Racing’s Simone Corsi.
When 2016 Qatar Moto2 began, the pole sitter – Dynavolt Intact GP’s Jonas Folger – got off the line first, followed by Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). Luthi quickly settled into fourth.
As Jonas opened up a lead, Zarco, Lowes, Marcel Schrotter (AGR Team) and Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) were all penalized for jumping the start and forced to pit.
Folger kept pushing up front, but crashed at turn four while in a comfortable lead: “I was pushing really hard to make a gap, it would have been the last lap of pushing hard. It was my fault, I expected a lot more.”
With Folger out, Morbidelli battled with Luthi, who took the lead. During this time, third-place Nakagami and Robin Mulhauser (CarXpert Interwetten) were also handed ride through penalties for jumping the race start.
Mobidelli gave it all he had, and took the lead on lap 10. But the Italian didn’t know he was under investigation for a jumped start. Mobidelli took the win just ahead of Luthi, but was later penalized, which dropped him back to seventh.
This gave the win to Luthi, who was joined on the podium Salom and Corsi. Fourth went to Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia), who finished ahead of Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten).
On his return to the Moto2 class, Kent secured sixth ahead of Morbidelli. A great ride after his jump-start penalty saw Alex Rins end the race in eighth ahead of Lowes, who also received a penalty for the same incident.
Completing the top 10 was Moto2 rookie Luca Marini (Forward Team), Valentino Rossi’s half brother battling through the pain barrier for a top ten finish after a heavy crash in qualifying on Saturday.
Edgar Pons (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) crashed out of the race. With 14 laps remaining Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) fell at Turn 4. Xavier Simeon (QMMF Racing Team) fell with five laps remaining, but remounted before retiring. Axel Pons (AGR Team) slid off at Turn 14 late in the race, as did Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing). No riders were seriously injured, MotoGP reports.
2016 Qatar Moto2 Results:
Pos. | Points | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time/Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 25 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | Garage Plus Interwetten | Kalex | 160.4 | 40’14.293 |
2 | 20 | 39 | Luis SALOM | SPA | SAG Team | Kalex | 159.8 | +9.610 |
3 | 16 | 24 | Simone CORSI | ITA | Speed Up Racing | Speed Up | 159.8 | +9.665 |
4 | 13 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Petronas Raceline Malaysia | Kalex | 159.5 | +13.558 |
5 | 11 | 77 | Dominique AEGERTER | SWI | CarXpert Interwetten | Kalex | 159.3 | +16.064 |
6 | 10 | 52 | Danny KENT | GBR | Leopard Racing | Kalex | 159.3 | +16.114 |
7 | 9 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Kalex | 160.4 | +20.047 |
8 | 8 | 40 | Alex RINS | SPA | Paginas Amarillas HP 40 | Kalex | 159.1 | +20.170 |
9 | 7 | 22 | Sam LOWES | GBR | Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 | Kalex | 158.9 | +22.019 |
10 | 6 | 10 | Luca MARINI | ITA | Forward Team | Kalex | 158.8 | +24.249 |
11 | 5 | 44 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | POR | Leopard Racing | Kalex | 158.8 | +24.254 |
12 | 4 | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Ajo Motorsport | Kalex | 158.8 | +24.570 |
13 | 3 | 14 | Ratthapark WILAIROT | THA | IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia | Kalex | 158.7 | +25.664 |
14 | 2 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia | Kalex | 158.6 | +26.992 |
15 | 1 | 11 | Sandro CORTESE | GER | Dynavolt Intact GP | Kalex | 159.8 | +29.736 |
16 | 54 | Mattia PASINI | ITA | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 158.4 | +30.404 | |
17 | 23 | Marcel SCHROTTER | GER | AGR Team | Kalex | 157.9 | +38.446 | |
18 | 2 | Jesko RAFFIN | SWI | Sports-Millions-EMWE-SAG | Kalex | 157.4 | +46.363 | |
19 | 32 | Isaac VIÑALES | SPA | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 157.4 | +46.543 | |
20 | 70 | Robin MULHAUSER | SWI | CarXpert Interwetten | Kalex | 155.4 | +1’18.323 | |
21 | 33 | Alessandro TONUCCI | ITA | Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 | Kalex | 154.9 | +1’25.002 | |
22 | 8 | Efren VAZQUEZ | SPA | JPMoto Malaysia | Suter | 154.0 | +1’39.572 | |
Not Classified | ||||||||
49 | Axel PONS | SPA | AGR Team | Kalex | 159.3 | 4 Laps | ||
97 | Xavi VIERGE | SPA | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 159.0 | 5 Laps | ||
19 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | QMMF Racing Team | Speed Up | 159.1 | 6 Laps | ||
73 | Alex MARQUEZ | SPA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Kalex | 149.9 | 14 Laps | ||
94 | Jonas FOLGER | GER | Dynavolt Intact GP | Kalex | 157.7 | 18 Laps | ||
60 | Julian SIMON | SPA | QMMF Racing Team | Speed Up | 146.6 | 19 Laps | ||
57 | Edgar PONS | SPA | Paginas Amarillas HP 40 | Kalex | 146.4 | 19 Laps |
If you had watched the race, you would know that Tomas Luthi was first over the line with Morbidelli 0.047s behind – therefor winning regardless of the penalties handed out to other riders.