MotoGP™: Qatar glory for Viñales as Michelin plays part in three new records

Sunday’s Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar saw Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) claim the first win of the 2021 MotoGPTM World Championship, ahead of Johann Zarco (2nd, Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (3rd, Ducati Lenovo Team). The grip and consistency provided by the MICHELIN Power Slick made an active contribution to the excitement of the year’s opener which produced new track and race lap records, as well as a new top-speed benchmark.  

Viñales got away to a cautious start from third on the grid on soft-compound MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear, a combination the entire field had opted for with the track temperature standing at 22°C and a brisk wind.

The factory Yamaha rider took advantage of his tires’ outstanding grip to post the evening’s fastest race lap (1m54.624s) on the fourth of the race’s 22 laps, while Zarco and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also bettered the previous best (1m54.927s) which Jorge Lorenzo had posted in 2016.

Despite figuring back in sixth pot at the end of the first lap, Viñales fought back to take the lead on Lap 15. Aided by the consistency of his MICHELIN Power Slicks, he then pulled out an enviable gap over his chasers to collect the ninth MotoGPTM victory of his career, more than a second clear of closest rival Zarco.

The Frenchman came out on top of his thrilling late scrap for second place with defending world champion Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) who had fought back from 10th on the grid to hold the position with the chequered flag in sight. The Ducati rider recovered the position at the very last moment, however, and Bagnaia followed in his wake to clinch third. Mir ended up just shy of the podium, but clear of Quartararo (5th) Alex Rins (6th, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR).

It was a first-class start to the 2021 campaign for Michelin and the MICHELIN Power Slick which helped pole-winner Bagnaia to improve the previous track lap record (the work of Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez who didn’t race in Qatar), while Zarco clocked a new top-speed record of 362.4kph!

There will be more MotoGPTM action in Qatar next weekend with Round 2 of the 2021 championship – the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha – on April 2-4.