MotoGP finally returns for the 2013 season at Qatar on Sunday April 7, at 3 p.m. on the Speed Channel.
Reigning champion Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo starts at pole for the third time at the Losail International Circuit of Doha, Qatar. Strong at Losail, Lorenzo won the Qatar GP from pole last year.
A remarkable qualifying for Cal Crutchlow of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team, the satellite rider qualifies second, equally his previous best ever grid position at Brno last year. Losail seems to favor the Yamaha motorcycles.
Dani Pedrosa of the Repsol Honda team is the first non-Yamaha rider on the grid. Qualifying third, this is only the second time Pedrosa qualified on the front row of Qatar. Pedrosa has yet to win at Losail.
Andrea Dovizioso muscles the Ducati to fourth on the grid. The best qualifying result by an Italian rider on an Italian bike since Loris Capirossi at the 2006 Valencia GP, Italian racing fans look forward to seeing their countryman on a podium.
As for Italian MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi, the 34-year-old 7-time MotoGP champion qualifies 7th on the grid in his return to Yamaha. Despite an extended hiatus from the podium during his unsuccessful stint with Ducati, the "Doctor" intends to demonstrate a return to form. Rossi has won the Qatar GP three times on a Yamaha.
Up and coming MotoGP superstar rookie Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda exploded to the scene this weekend, qualifying ahead of Rossi at 6th. The 20-year-old rookie won Qatar last year in the highly competitive Moto2 class.
The final top 10 riders include Alvaro Bautista at eighth, Bradley Smith at ninth, and Andrea Iannone in tenth.
Be sure to catch MotoGP Qatar 2013 on Sunday April 7, at 3 p.m. on the Speed Channel! Check out the Ducati MotoGP race preivew at Qatar below:
