Posted on 21.10.2015 by admin

Qatar GP: Toba "Japanese" Moto3, Baldassari "Triumph" Moto2

Kaito Toba, 18, becomes the first Japanese rider to win a Moto3 race thanks to his very narrow victory at the 2019 Qatar Grand Prix. The Italian Lorenzo Baldassari, for his part, has the first success of a Moto2 with an engine Triumph. Explanations and rankings.

Moto3 is definitely showing off new faces lately: after becoming at 15 years and 115 days the youngest winner of a motorcycle Grand Prix last year in (Spain), it’s Kaito Toba’s turn. to dust off the shelves at the start of the 2019 season. Reason? He is the first Japanese rider to win in Moto3 !

MNC special file :

The native of Fukuoka (Japan) did not wear the label of favorite in Qatar, however, given his previous results and his discretion during the offseason. Toba, winner of the Idemistu Asia Talent Cup 2014, entered the world championship in 2017 on the Moto3 Honda of team Asia, with for best performance a sixth place in Catalonia last year…

Ranked 30th for his first year in Moto3 then 22nd in 2018, Kaito Toba is not at the origin of any sparkle heralding future domination. The click seems to have happened this weekend at Losail, where this 18-year-old first qualified for the very first time on the front row (3rd).

The Japanese, determined to convert the test, then remained in the leading group along with the expected cracks of the Moto3 category: Aron Canet, Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Niccolo Antonelli and Romano Fenati, back to competition after his for his ineligible racing action in San Marino (Italy).

Fenati wrongly releases the "Long Lap Penalty"

This first Fenati race will however end in disillusionment: the Italian misinterpreted a warning after having exceeded the limits of the track and indulged – wrongly – in the The Snipers team driver will finally finish in 9th place, as his dominance during practice suggested a possible victory…

Congratulations Fantastic win, wow the years have flown by! Keep up the good work..

– Casey Stoner (@ Official_CS27)

Dalla Porta meanwhile sought to escape, but that was without counting on Kaito Toba: No.27 – in homage to Stoner of whom he’s been a fan since he was little: the proof above – hung in its wake, offering spectators a thrilling finale. Toba will end up winning this duel thanks to the aspiration and by winning with only 53 thousandths over Lorenzo Dalla Porta !

This success is historic for Japan since it is the first victory for a Japanese representative in the Moto3 category, which is also signed on a Japanese motorcycle (Honda)! The last rider from the Land of the Rising Sun to win the smallest category was Tomyoshi Koyama in 2007, in a 125 cc 2-stroke. "Toba-San" ends 12-year food shortage !

Terrific creates history after race win

Japanese rider pips to the line in a classic Moto3race with polesitter claiming the final podium spot |

– MotoGP ™ (@MotoGP)

"When I crossed the finish line, I was in the midst of a dream, a dream come true! I’m super happy", enthuses Kaita Koba, happy to appear at the head of the provisional championship with this success which could mark the real kickoff of his career in the world championship. To be confirmed, however, over time…

Moto2: Baldassari’s Triumph on Luthi

A few moments after the celebrations to the glory of Koba, the Moto2 riders entered the track in a very pleasant mechanical purr: remember that Triumph replaces Honda as with the 3-cylinder derived from its Street Triple.

And we are RACING here in Qatar!!!

It’s a storming start from as he leads them all into turn 1!

– MotoGP ™ (@MotoGP)

The hoarse growl typical of the "3-legged" replaces the more shrill howls of the 4-cylinder from the CBR600RR, resulting in a significant increase in performance: from 128 hp to 140 hp at the crankshaft (+12 hp). Another asset appreciated by the English block: its weight and size lower than those of the aging Japanese "4-legged".

MNC file : Triumph Moto2 engine manufacturer in 2019, explanations from the French subsidiary

The higher availability of the Hinckley engine is also welcomed, a logical finding in view of its additional 166 cc (765 cc against 599). In short, everyone applauds this change of engine supplier, both the pilots and the chassis manufacturers: Kalex, Speed UP, NTS and also … MV Agusta and KTM, which are direct commercial rivals of Triumph !

Baldassari dominates Moto2 opening race

This first race of the "Triumph" era was controlled from start to finish by the Italian Lorenzo Baldassari on his Team Pons Kalex, which started from 3rd place on the grid. The only threat came from Thomas Luthi, who climbed from 7th place in his Kalex Dynavolt Intact GP…

0.023s difference, sooooo close, this is what racing is all about

– Lorenzo Baldassarri (@ 7balda)

The Swiss, back in Moto2 after an inconclusive experience in MotoGP on the Honda Marc VDS, finally fails just 0.026 sec from "Balda" under the checkered flag! The opportunity to note that the Qatar circuit will have offered ultra-tight finishes in the three categories: 23 thousandths in, 26 thousandths in Moto2 and 53 thousandths in Moto3 !

The podium was completed at 2.123 seconds by Luthi’s teammate, Marcel Schrotter, author of a record pole in 1’58.585. Remy Gardner and Augusto Fernandez close the Top 5 ahead of Sam Lowes – back at Gresini – and Alex Marquez, expected a better place after already three seasons in Moto2…

She is coming home with us

– Lorenzo Baldassarri (@ 7balda)

What about the lap times compared to last year? Baldassari completed the 20 laps in 39’56.109, 23.693 seconds faster than in 2018 (40’19.802). This gain of almost 1.2 sec per lap is partly attributable to the superior performance of the Triumph engine. The race lap record was also broken, dropping from 1’59.421 (Lowes, in 2016) to 1’58.711 (Luthi). Or 0.710 sec better.

The next race scheduled for March 29-31 in Argentina. Stay connected !

2019 Qatar Moto3 GP results and standings

Kaito TOBA Honda 38’08.887
Lorenzo DALLA PORTA Honda +0.053
Aron CANET KTM +0.174
Marcos RAMIREZ Honda +0.505
Celestino VIETTI KTM +0.584
Albert ARENAS KTM +0.818
Raul FERNANDEZ KTM +0.846
Niccolò ANTONELLI Honda +0.850
Romano FENATI Honda +0.890
Jakub KORNFEIL KTM +0.903
Ai OGURA Honda +0.956
Alonso LOPEZ Honda +1.755
John MCPHEE Honda +1.849
Andrea MIGNO KTM +3.450
Gabriel RODRIGO Honda +3.514
Tony ARBOLINO Honda +4.201
Vicente PEREZ KTM +4.267
Can ONCU KTM +26.272
Kazuki MASAKI KTM +31.779
Ryusei YAMANAKA Honda +31.820
Filip SALAC KTM +31.943
Riccardo ROSSI Honda +31.979
Makar YURCHENKO KTM + 1’23.259
Tom BOOTH-AMOS KTM 3 Tours

Not classified

Tatsuki SUZUKI Honda 14 Tours
Dennis FOGGIA KTM 14 Tours
Darryn BINDER KTM 17 Tours
Ayumu SASAKI Honda 0 Tour
Jaume MASIA KTM 0 Lap

2019 Qatar Moto2 GP results and standings

Lorenzo BALDASSARRI Kalex 39’56.109
Thomas LUTHI Kalex +0.026
Marcel SCHROTTER Kalex +2.123
Remy GARDNER Kalex +2.125
Augusto FERNANDEZ Kalex +2.305
Sam LOWES Kalex +3.334
Alex MARQUEZ Kalex +5.018
Luca MARINI Kalex +7.336
Enea BASTIANINI Kalex +12.949
Xavi VIRGIN Kalex +13.865
Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Speed Up +15.525
Brad BINDER KTM +16.591
Andrea LOCATELLI Kalex +18.667
Jesko RAFFIN NTS +18.916
Jorge MARTIN KTM +22.771
Bo BENDSNEYDER NTS +22.822
Khairul Idham PAWI Kalex +23.978
Dominique AEGERTER MV Agusta +26.904
Simone CORSI Kalex +27.030
Stefano MANZI MV Agusta +40.274
Lukas TULOVIC KTM +43.003
Joe ROBERTS KTM +44.212
Philipp OETTL KTM +47.657
Dimas EKKY PRATAMA Kalex +57.596
Xavi CARDELUS KTM + 1’18.749
Marco BEZZECCHI KTM + 1’35.817