Moto2 Qatar: Victorious Vietti untouchable in maiden win at Lusail
Celestino Vietti converted his first intermediate pole position into a maiden race win in the class as he lead over the line by over six seconds in a dominant performance at the Moto2 Qatar Grand Prix, the opening round of the season.
A strong start saw the Mooney VR46 Racing Team bike hold strong out front, where the Italian then managed his race to perfection, keeping to his race pace to ease over the line by a huge 6.154s.
Aron Canet was ninth on the grid but got a dream start to push up to second on the first lap. The Flexbox HP40 rider tried to catch Vietti, but response came every time he piled on the pressure leaving him an equally solo second in Doha.
The battle for third is where all the race action took place, with four riders in contention for the position.
Ai Ogura held firm at the front for the longest over the twenty laps and looked to have the cornering and pace to reply at the last turn after every attack.
Augusto Fernandez ran wide on the last lap as he looked for a way around on the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, leading to a collision with the Japanese rider. Ogura ran wide and out of contention as he struggled to stay aboard while losing the front on his Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Triumph.
It was a case of right time, right place for Sam Lowes, who passed the duo to claim third, some luck going the way of the Elf Marc VDS rider as he struggles with tendinitis strength and pain issues.
Pole man Fernandez went on to finish the race fourth and Ogura sixth, with fellow contender Tony Arbolino splitting the pair after pulling himself back into podium contention on the second Marc VDS Entry.
Jorge Navarro was a further two second wait down the track, arriving to take seventh on the second Flexbox HP40 bike.
He was followed by the two Americans in the class hard at battle - Joe Roberts (Italtrans) and Cameron Beaubier ( American Racing). Roberts passed his compatriot after he did most of the work up front just before the last lap to claim eighth.
Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was fighting injury after his testing crash and Jake Dixon on track at the British rider made a late lunge for the top ten. The Inde GasGas rider was victim to a bad start which saw him pushed out wide and down through the pack. Dixon rallied to finish just five tenths behind the German.
Moto3 reigning champion Pedro Acosta, a season favourite despite his Moto2 rookie status after his winter testing form, had a similar fate at the start of the race, finding himself last after being sat up on the opening corner.
He staged a comeback of his own to climb to a commendable twelfth at the chequered flag for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
The remaining points on offer went to Albert Arenas (Inde GasGas Aspar) in 13th , Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in 14th and Romano Fenati, the first rider to not cross the line on a Kalex as he brought home the MB Conveyors Speed Up Boscoscuro in 15th.
Barry Baltus completed a great save late in the race, putting his hand down on the tarmac to push himself back up but did not finish, leaving the track with one lap left to run.
The only other riders not to go the distance were Filip Salac, who exited at turn five on lap two and Lorenzo Dalla Porta who retired to the pits.
Somkiat Chantra was absent after breaking a bone in practice.
