Herlings and Bobryshev top Qatar Qualification
By Infront Moto Racing on 27th Feb 16
Every year the FIM Motocross World Championship opener is one of the most exciting races of the season. Its like the cards in the deck are shuffled and a new hand is dealt. Who has the best hand? Right now, its Team HRCs Evgeny Bobryshev and Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Jeffrey Herlings who have at least one ace in their hand after lighting up the spectacular night skies here in Losail when they won their respective qualifying races.
When the gates slammed to the ground for the first time this season, the holeshot king Jose Butron was back as he hauled out of the gate on his Marchetti Racing Team KTM to claim a narrow holeshot over Team HRC's Evgeny Bobryshev. Although there was almost nothing in it over the holeshot line, the Russian, Bobryshev, had the inside line through turn one and led the way out of it.
Behind them the rookie, Honda Gariboldi's Tim Gajser was on rails as he put a text book pass on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Antonio Cairoli, who couldn't have wished for a better start after only finishing 16th in Timed Practice which meant he didn't have the greatest gate pick.
Chasing the eight-time FIM Motocross World Champ in the early stages of the race was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's newest recruit Glenn Coldenhoff who was being hounded by the defending MXGP World Champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing's Romain Febvre. As ‘Bobby' started to edge away, Butron rode a wide line in second, which allowed a freight train of riders to bunch up.
Febvre was the first to pounce as he threw together a different combo over the bomb hole and slung past Coldenhoff and surprisingly Cairoli too. In doing so, the champ opened the door for Coldenhoff who invited himself in and dropped ‘TC222' back to sixth.
Meanwhile, up front the Honda boys had their factory FMF pipes burning hot as they ran away from the insane battle behind them as the challenge for third had everyone on the edge of their seats when Febvre, Coldenhoff, Cairoli, Butron and Wilvo Virus Performance KTM's Shaun Simpson went bar to bar, quite literally.
Butron ended up fading back to thirteenth while the defending champ closed in on the rookie and 2015 FIM MX2 World Champion, Gajser. Febvre made a solid charge on Gajser who managed to hold off the wrath and made an incredible MXGP debut as he followed Bobryshev home for second. Febvre rounded out the top three with Cairoli and Coldenhoff making up the top five.
As for Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team's Clement Desalle, after missing Timed Practice, he nursed his healing arm around for two laps before pulling off. He will have the last gate pick tomorrow for race day, if he decides to start.
MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 24:54.670; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:01.814; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:06.734; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:16.642; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:19.578; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:24.719; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:26.985; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:28.083; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:29.186; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:30.329;
He's not known for his blistering starts, but Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Jeffrey Herlings got his season off to the perfect start as he ripped out of the gate to claim the holeshot and the first Qualifying heat win of the year. Meanwhile Team Monster Energy Kawasaki's Dylan Ferrandis, who set the fastest time in Timed Practice kept The Bullet in sight but didn't have enough juice to take the win.
With Herlings and Ferrandis in a league of their own, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Thomas Covington was living up to his solid reputation here in Qatar, at least until his bike stopped on the final corner two laps in. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Pauls Jonass then inherited third off of the American and set himself free from the dynamite battle between Team Suzuki World MX2's Jeremy Seewer, Kemea Yamaha Official MX team's Benoit Paturel and Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha Official MX2 Team's Aleksandr Tonkov.
As the race approached half way, Paturel appeared to be sick of eating roost sandwiches as he doggedly pursued Seewer for fourth. Likewise, Team Monster Energy Kawasaki's Petar Petrov was also in a hasty mood as he burst on to the scene to take fifth from Tonkov.
At the checkered flag, it was Herlings who lit the candles for the first time this year ahead of Ferrandis and Jonass. Seewer managed to keep Paturel at bay for fourth while Petrov rounded out the top five.
MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 24:51.763; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:01.783; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:35.137; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:38.236; 5. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:39.310; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:42.207; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), +0:49.764; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:51.811; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:54.116; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:02.236
