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| Race 1 of 18 races in the 2015 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | 29 March 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official name | Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Losail International Circuit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2015 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 2015 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.[2] It was held at the Losail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar on 29 March 2015.
In the MotoGP class, Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso took the first pole position of the season.[3] It was an eventful race in which the lead was contested between the Movistar Yamaha and Ducati teams. For the first time since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix,[4] the podium was swept by Italian riders, as Yamaha's Valentino Rossi – in his 20th Grand Prix season – took his first season-opening victory since 2010, ahead of Dovizioso,[5] and his teammate Andrea Iannone, who achieved his first MotoGP podium in third place.[6] Reigning world champion Marc Márquez had a good start position, third on the grid, but went off track and almost hit Jorge Lorenzo and Bradley Smith. After he fell to the rear of the field due to the first-lap incident, Márquez overtook several riders and was able to finish fifth, behind Lorenzo.[7]
Dani Pedrosa started second on the grid, but dropped to sixth place due to issues with arm-pump. Álvaro Bautista was forced to retire after his bike was hit by Márquez, breaking his left brake lever and front sensor. Rookie Jack Miller – graduating from Moto3 – crashed with Karel Abraham with one lap remaining.
The weekend also saw the début of the new Aprilia RS-GP, which was used by Gresini Racing after the team switched from Honda at the end of 2014. This was Aprilia's first race in MotoGP as a factory team since the 2004 Valencian Grand Prix.
- ^ "2015 Qatar MotoGP". Motorsportmagazine.com. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ "2015 provisional MotoGP calendar announced". Motogp.com. Dorna Sports. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ "Dovizioso grabs sensational pole for Ducati". Motogp.com. Dorna Sports. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "MotoGP records destroyed in the desert". Motogp.com. Dorna Sports. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "Valentino Rossi wins season opener in Qatar". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "Emotional Iannone overwhelmed by Qatar podium". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ English, Steve (31 March 2015). "Marquez pleased to salvage fifth after first corner mistake". Motor Cycle News. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 5 April 2015.