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(See the crash sequence photos by Bonnie Lane below!)
Did Johann Zarco have a MotoGP debut race win firmly in his grasp when he crashed out of Sunday night's Grand Prix of Qatar? Impossible to say, but the two-time Moto2 world champion did take the lead and open a nearly two-second gap on Grand Prix racing's best before slipping off his Tech3 Yamaha in Turn 2 on the sixth of 20 scheduled laps.
“The track was not perfect, but my feeling was very strong and my grid position was close to the top,” said the 26-year-old Frenchman. “I overtook some good riders at the first corner and I then got into a consistent rhythm. I kept pushing, but on the sixth lap, I decided to relax and maybe I went off the racing line a little bit and fell.”
Losail International Circuit is notoriously slippery off line, and traction was further compromised on Sunday by rain and a delayed race start. While this mistake could be viewed as part of Zarco’s MotoGP education, fans may not have to wait long to see his trademark post-win backflip, albeit this time in the premier class.
