The Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to tackle the first Grand Prix of the MotoGP season in Qatar in 2021
After the two pre-season tests a few weeks ago, Ducati Lenovo Team riders Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia are back in Qatar for the first Grand Prix of the MotoGP World Championship 2021, which will be held this weekend on the Losail Circuit. The second race of the season will take place on the track in the outskirts of Doha on the following weekend from April 2nd to 4th.
The track, which has been on the calendar since 2004, has so far brought Ducati 11 podiums, including five victories. The youngest came in 2019 with Andrea Dovizioso, in the last edition of the GP, which was contested by the premier class. In fact, the MotoGP race was canceled a few weeks before the championship began last year due to the restrictions imposed by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
After the results of the two test sessions, in which he led the overall standings and unofficially improved the track’s lap record, Jack Miller will take to the track to be one of the protagonists of the race.
Francesco Bagnaia, who made his MotoGP debut with the Pramac Racing Team’s Ducati in Qatar in 2019, will also come to Losail after successfully completing pre-season tests to fight for the top spots.
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team, # 43)
“We are finally back at the first Grand Prix of 2021 this weekend. The official Qatar test was really positive and I have never felt as comfortable on the bike before the start of the championship as I did this year. My feeling with the Desmosedici is great and our speed isn’t that bad either. I hope that we will have good track conditions throughout the weekend in order to prepare well for both races that we will have here in Losail. Of course, our competitors will also be very competitive here, but I am determined to get the new season off to a good start and, like at the end of last year, to fight for the top podium. “
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team, # 63)
“I am very happy to finally contest my first Grand Prix as the official driver of the Ducati Lenovo Team. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time and can’t wait to see the adrenaline of the first off-season lights. After the two test sessions of the last few weeks, we are entering the first round of the year with a solid foundation. It will be important to improve our time attack in order to guarantee a place on the first two rows of the grid in qualifying. I’m very excited and have the feeling that I can fight for a good result in the race! ”.
The riders of the Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, March 26th at 3:40 pm local time (GMT +3.00) for the first free practice session of the Qatar GP.
Circuit information
Country: Qatar
Name: Losail International Circuit
Best lap: Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1: 54.927 (168.5 km / h) – 2016
Track record: Marquez (Honda) 1: 53,380 (170.8 km / h) – 2019
Top speed: Marquez (Honda) 352 km / h – 2019
Route length: 5.4 km
Race distance: 22 laps (118.4 km)
Corners: 16 (6 left, 10 right)
Results 2019
Podium: 1 ° Dovizioso (Ducati); 2 ° Marquez (Honda), 3 ° Crutchlow (Honda)
Pole position: Viñales (Yamaha) 1: 53.546 (170.5 km / h)
Fastest lap: Quartararo (Yamaha) 1: 55.039 (168.3 km / h)
Driver information
Jack Miller
Bicycle: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race number: 43
GPs started: 154 (99 x MotoGP, 49 x Moto3, 6 x 125 ccm)
First GP: Qatar 2015 (MotoGP), Qatar 2012 (Moto3), Germany 2011 (125 cc)
Wins: 7 (1 MotoGP + 6 Moto3)
First win: Netherlands 2016 (MotoGP), Qatar 2014 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 9 (1 MotoGP + 8 Moto3)
First pole: Argentina 2018 (MotoGP), USA 2014 (Moto3)
Fastest laps: 3 (2 MotoGP + 1 Moto3)
Points: 544 (MotoGP) + 403 (Moto3)
Francesco Bagnaia
Bicycle: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Start number: 63
GPs started: 134 (29 x MotoGP, 36 x Moto2, 69 x Moto3)
First GP: Qatar 2019 (MotoGP), Qatar 2017 (MotoGP), Qatar 2013 (MotoGP)
Wins: 10 (8 Moto2 + 2 Moto3)
First win: Qatar 2018 (Moto2), Netherlands 2016 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 7 (6 Moto2 + 1 Moto3)
First pole: France 2018 (Moto2), Great Britain 2016 (Moto3)
Fastest laps: 7 (2 MotoGP + 3 Moto2 + 2 Moto3)
Points: 101 (MotoGP) + 480 (Moto2) + 271 (Moto3)
World title: 1 (Moto2, 2018)