Jorge Navarro narrowly misses out on Qatar podium

The 2015 Moto3 World Championship began under the floodlights of Losail this Sunday with an intense and dramatic race. Repsol rider Jorge Navarro was involved in the battle for victory, alongside a large group of riders at the front.

In the end a lottery last lap decided things, with Navarro twelfth. Maria Herrera, who started from thirty-second on the grid, rose ten places to conclude the season opener twenty-second.

As expected, the race saw a large group leading the way throughout. Slipstreams and the long straight at Losail put paid to any attempt to break away at the front. Lap-after-lap, a pack of more than fifteen riders chased victory, until a chaotic final lap decided things.

Navarro crossed the finish line twelfth, 1.6 seconds behind the winner, and Maria Herrera was 29 seconds back in twenty-second place.

After the exciting season curtain-raiser, the World Championship returns to action in two weeks’ time, for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin.

Jorge Navarro – 12th – at 1.608 sec.
“It was a very positive race. Since Thursday and the first free practice session we have done a great job, both the team and myself, and this has allowed me to go into the race with a good setup and a great pace. Races like this, with a lot of slipstreaming, are always crazy, because you can go from being last in a group to leading it. On the last lap I was well placed, in sixth or seventh, but things got a bit chaotic in front of me and I was run onto the white line when trying to overtake around the outside. Twelfth place is not what we were hoping for, but we have achieved the goal of finishing the race in the front group –even if it wasn’t in the Top 10. I’m sure that in the next race we will take a step forward.”

Maria Herrera – 22nd – at 29.266 sec.
“I made a good start and was able to get into a good spot. It’s just a shame that I was hit by some of the riders ahead of me and dropped back a little. I tried to keep my position in order to continue learning in the race, and we were able to take another second off my times from practice. I was able to overtake riders, gain more confidence with the bike and, in general, draw some positive conclusions. It has been a tough start, but I am sure that it will help us for the next race –so I am very happy with this first Grand Prix of the year.”

Source: Repsol Media