Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Wrap Up Qatar GP in P7 & P12

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins showed fighter mentality at the Lusail International Circuit today. The Grand Prix of Qatar was a hard battle for both teammates, but their persistence was rewarded with an 8th and 13th place respectively. However, with Maverick Viñales handed a 16s penalty post-race, the duo took 7th and 12th in the revised classifications.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins knew the 22-lap Grand Prix of Qatar Race would require judicious tyre management. Maintaining a solid pace until the finish line, Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins wrapped up the head-to-head in Lusail in 8th and 13th place respectively. However, with Maverick Viñales handed a 16s penalty post-race, the teammates ranked 7th and 12th in the updated timesheets.

Quartararo started from P3 and was trying to hold on to it going into the first corner, but due to contact between the two Marquez brothers, he had to reduce speed. Other riders swarmed around him. He gradually fell back to ninth place as part of a group battling for sixth but soon found himself in eighth. On lap 6, El Diablo was shortly back in ninth again when he was overtaken by Pedro Acosta until Alex Marquez completing a long-lap penalty put the Frenchman back in eighth. He held the position until lap 11, when Alex Marquez passed him once again. With seven laps to go, Quartararo overtook Pedro Acosta for eighth and skilfully created a gap between them, which he held across the finish line, 12.895s from first.

Álex Rins had a good start from P9 and initially managed to hold on to his position but then found himself in the middle of the fierce mid-pack battle. It took a few laps before the order settled with the Yamaha man in 14th position. However, the gaps between the riders in 6th to 19th were all less than 0.7s at the time, so the Spaniard still had every reason to keep pushing. Rins spent a large chunk of the race battling with Enea Bastianini and Ai Ogura. With 5 laps remaining, Bastianini broke away, and Rins overtook Ogura, who had a wobble, for 14th. He then put his head down and also managed to overtake Brad Binder in the last sector of the last lap to grab 13th place at the chequered flag, 17.563s from the winner.

Today's results see Quartararo in 8th place in the overall standings with 30 points. Rins is now in 16th with 14 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP holds 5th place in the team championship with 44 points, and Yamaha is in joint-4th position in the constructor championship with 42 points.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action in two weeks' time for the start of the European leg of the season in Spain. The Gran Premio de España will be held at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto from 25-27 April.