· Spaniard Aron Canet (Kalex) won the Moto2™ race of the Qatar Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Turkish Deniz Öncu (Kalex) and Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex), all three on soft SC0 rear tyres and medium SC2 front tyres. Canet won from third on the grid while Daniel Holgado (Kalex), fourth at the finish line, was the best-placed rider among those who used the soft SC1 front.
· Ángel Piqueras (KTM) went on to win a hard-fought race in Moto3™ after a head-to-head to the finish line with Taiyo Furusato (Honda), second, and poleman Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM), third. The Spaniard won from fifth on the grid using medium SC2 compound tyres on both axles like teammate Yamanaka, while Furusato using a soft SC1 front tyre, climbed an impressive 10 positions during the race.
· Faster races than 2024: In Moto2™ the race finished in 35’30.185 – an overall improvement of over 15 seconds compared to last year, which translates to nearly 9 tenths per lap faster. In Moto3™, the 16 laps were completed in 33’17.268, making it about 2.5 seconds quicker than the previous season.
· The tyre choice was unanimous in both classes as far as the rears are concerned: in Moto2™ all riders used the soft SC0, while in Moto3™ the medium SC2 was used. The grids were more varied for the front option: in Moto2™ 18 riders used the soft SC1 and 10 the medium SC2 (13 out of 28) while in Moto3™ 2/3 of them used the medium SC2 and the rest the soft SC1.
Faster and fiercely contested races compared to last year
“In this edition of the Grand Prix of Qatar we have witnessed some very exciting and hard-fought Moto2™ and Moto3™ races. Despite the intense battles on track and constant overtaking right up to the finish line, races in both classes were faster than last year – and that’s with the same tyres. This shows that the bikes have now been better adapted to make the most of our tyres’ potential, and the riders, with a season of experience behind them, have gained much more confidence in our tyres. In general, this circuit wears out the tyres much more than others; therefore, it’s only natural that toward the end of the race, the riders had to manage their tyres a bit, especially the front ones. That said, the outcome is undoubtedly very positive – both from a technical standpoint, with very fast races, and in terms of the on-track spectacle, which featured some great battles. We’re therefore pleased with the performance our tyres delivered this weekend. Now, with the first part of the Championship completed and four intercontinental races behind us, we head to Jerez for the first in a series of European rounds”.
