Moto2 Qatar: Folger wins an elimination race, Lowes and Rabat crash, Morbidelli finishes fifth

Qatar Moto2 GP – Endless twists and turns in the Moto2 class race in Losail, scene of the Qatar Grand Prix. Many excellent crashes, including that of pole man Sam Lowes and that of reigning champion Esteve Rabat, who fell after a contact with Simone Corsi. The final twist came when Johann Zarco, comfortably in the lead, broke the gearbox on his bike. At that point the French rider had to leave the victory in the hands of the German Jonas Folger (his first success in Moto2), with the Team Ajo Motosport rider holding on and finishing eighth. Simeon and Luthi were on the podium, while Franco Morbidelli finished fifth.

Race report

The Moto2 class riders are ready to compete in the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar, the first stage of the 2015 world championship, which as usual takes place under the artificial lights of Losail. Pole position for the British Sam Lowes. The Speed ​​Up driver achieved it with a time of 1'59.423. In the front row with Alex's brother (Suzuki Superbike rider) we also find the Kalex of the Frenchman Johann Zarco and that of the reigning champion Esteve Rabat.

Second row for the Germans Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact Gp) and Jonas Folger (Agr Team) and for the Belgian Xavier Simeon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). Franco Morbidelli with the Kalex of Team Italtrans is on the third row with the eighth fastest time. With him the Swiss Thomas Luthi (7th time) and the Spaniard Alex Rins (9th time).

The Roman Simone Corsi is on the fourth row (10th fastest time) and precedes the Spaniards Axel Pons and Alex Marquez (brother of Marc, reigning MotoGP champion). Lorenzo Baldassarri with the second Forward Racing bike is twentieth, ahead of Julian Simon and Anthony West. All ready, twenty laps to go for 107.6 km. The traffic lights go out, the fastest at the start is poleman Sam Lowes, ahead of Zarco, Rabat, Morbidelli. Rabat's mistake, followed by Folger, Simeon, Cortese, Corsi and Rabat, who lost many positions.

The first lap ends, Zarco attacks, taking the lead. The French rider of Team Ajo Motorsport is ahead of Lowes and our Franco Morbidelli. Followed by Folger, Simeon, Cortese, Corsi and Rabat, who is recovering. The 2014 Moto3 champion Alex Marquez is 14th.

Simone Corsi attacks and moves into sixth position, while his team-mate Baldassarri is eighteenth. The first two try to get ahead, while Morbidelli tries to resist the attacks of the Belgian Team Gresini player Xavier Simeon.

Plot twist! Sam Lowes falls while trying to resist the pace imposed by Zarco! A possible victory thrown away by the British driver, who had dominated all the tests, warm up aside. The Speed ​​Up rider tries to restart, but his motorbike has a broken footrest.

The surprises continue! Simone Corsi and Esteve Rabat touch each other, and both end up on the ground! race over for both of us! Another bad contact, Axel Pons violently crashes into Luis Salom. The two Spaniards fall violently to the ground. Salom despaired, with Pons trying to apologize in the pits, but without finding his compatriot.

At the halfway point of the race we find Zarco alone in the lead with over four seconds ahead of Folger. Third is Xavier Simeon, ahead of our Franco Morbidelli. Followed by Cortese, Luthi, Kallio, Rins, Cardus and Rossi. Fall for Anthony West, who occupied fourteenth position.

Morbidelli must defend himself from the attacks of Cortese, Luthi and Kallio, the Italian driver's team-mate. Cortese attempts an initial attack, repelled by Morbidelli, but on the next pass our driver has to give up the position. Now it's Luthi who attacks Morbidelli, with Kallio slightly behind.

With five laps to go the top ten are Zarco, Folger, Simeon, Morbidelli (who overtook Cortese), Luthi, Kallio, Rins, Baldassarri and Rossi. Five drivers will compete for fourth place.

Another twist! Johann Zarco has a technical problem, it seems that his Kalex has gearbox problems. The Frenchman, bending down to better understand what happened, risks hitting the wall on the straight! Jonas Folger, rider of the AGR Team, then takes the lead. The Frenchman continues his race, but it seems that the bike remains in third gear. He is then "sucked" into the leading group, Luthi in the lead.

The final lap begins, Folger takes the lead ahead of Simeon and Luthi. Rins had a great race as he recovered up to fourth place, immediately ahead of Morbidelli, who in turn preceded Cortese and Kallio. Rins believes in the podium, Luthi is not far away, even if there are a few corners left to go. Folger goes on to win ahead of Simeon and Luthi, who resisted Rins' attacks, Morbidelli finishes fifth, Zarco eighth!