Moto2: Lowes takes victory in Qatar season opener

The 2021 Moto2 World Championship got underway under the artificial lighting in Qatar at the Losail International Circuit. Sam Lowes started from pole position, ahead of Raul Fernandez and Bo Bendsneyder on the front row. 

It was Marco Bezzecchi, from fourth on the grid, who made the holeshot, ahead of Bendsneyder and Lowes, but it took until just the first turn of the third lap for Lowes to regain the advantage and take the lead from Bezzecchi. 

By lap five, Lowes’ gap was approaching one second, and it was now over Raul Fernandez, the rookie having passed Bezzecchi for second place on lap four. However, a mistake from Lowes brought the gap back down, and soon after Remy Gardner had arrived in the podium battle. 

Gardner was able to pass Bezzecchi at turn four on lap eight, and Fernandez, his teammate, a lap later at turn six. By now, Lowes’ lead had grown to 1.5 seconds, so the #87 had his work cut out to take a win on debut for Red Bull KTM Ajo. 

The gap at the front largely stabilised after Gardner took over second from Fernandez, just steadily increasing to two seconds over the course of the second half of the race, as Lowes took a dominant win to open the season. 

Gardner was penalised by qualifying off the front row, which gave Lowes an immediate advantage. After that, the Australian got beaten up a bit in the opening stages, so it was a fight back from there. Considering that, it was a decent result for Gardner, who at least proved he can run the pace of Lowes. 

While the battle for the win was over fairly prematurely, the fight for the final step on the podium went down to the wire. Raul Fernandez rode superbly for 15 laps, but in the closing stages the rookie began to suffer with rear grip, and he slipped into the clutches of Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who both passed him on the penultimate lap. 

It seemed that Bezzecchi had enough of a gap to Di Giannantonio to hold on to third. However, a strong second half to the penultimate lap put Di Giannantonio in a perfect position to attack Bezzecchi on the final tour. Bezzecchi tried to back the #21 up in turn 10, but instead Di Giannantonio carried the momentum and made the pass on Bezzecchi that he had already made on Joe Roberts and Fernandez before: a block pass at turn 12. Sensing that Bezzecchi would try to retaliate, Di Giannantonio covered the inside into the final corner, and secured an emotional podium on debut for the Gresini team. 

Bezzecchi will have been disappointed to take only 13 points from the opening race of the season, but it is not a disaster for the Italian, who remains firmly in title contention with 18 rounds still to go. 

Behind Bezzecchi was Raul Fernandez, who was brilliant in his Moto2 debut to challenge for the lead early on, only to suffer with the tyres later on – a forgivable sin for first-timer. The Spaniard beat Joe Roberts to the line, with the American taking sixth place ahead of the injured Jake Dixon, Marcel Schrotter, Bo Bendsneyder and Jorge Navarro who completed the top 10. 

Cameron Beaubier was impressive on his way to 11th on his Moto2 debut, finishing ahead of Celestino Vietti, Aron Canet, Augusto Fernandez and Tom Luthi who took the final point in 15th.  

In 16th was Tony Arbolino on his Moto2 debut, ahead of fellow rookie Ai Ogura, Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Stefano Manzi and Yari Monetella, another rookie. 

The reigning Moto3 World Champion, Albert Arenas, could only manage 21st on his debut, ahead of Nicolo Bulega who was 22nd and last of the classified finishers. 

There were plenty of retirements, and they came even after a significant depletion of the field on Saturday, when Barry Baltus and Simone Corsi both suffered fractures. Marcos Ramirez, additionally, broke his humerus in qualifying on Saturday, but lined up to race only to retire at the end of the opening lap. After the #42 dropped out, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Hafizh Syahrin, Hector Garzo, Xavi Vierge and Somkiat Chantra all also crashed out.