09/03/08 - 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner began his title defence in style with victory in the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar –the first ever MotoGP night race- ahead of Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

The Ducati Marlboro rider started the race off the front row for the first time in his MotoGP career, chasing a repeat of his debut premier class victory from last year. Stoner didn’t have things all his way in the early going, but held off challenges from some of the favourites for the 2008 crown to win by over five seconds from Lorenzo.

Behind the Australian, Fiat Yamaha rider and reigning 250cc World Champion Lorenzo followed up on his spectacular Saturday pole with a jaw-dropping debut MotoGP race. The Spaniard showed no fear in the face of a field packed with race-winners, joining Stoner in breaking away from the pack to take a maiden podium at his very first attempt.

Another rider to step onto the rostrum in his first MotoGP race was Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa, who for the third consecutive year finished in the top three at the opening race of the year. The 2007 World Championship runner-up had to work for his reward, however, taking the holeshot from the third row of the grid and getting some rough treatment by the frontrunners in their attempts to break away.

JiR Team Scot rider Andrea Dovizioso joined eternal adversary Lorenzo in making a fantastic 800cc debut, taking fourth place from five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi on the final lap of the race. The former 250cc star picked off his fellow Italian after Rossi had dropped out of the running for third, both finishing just ahead of Tech 3 Yamaha’s front row duo of James Toseland and Colin Edwards in the former’s first Grand Prix.

Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi, LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet and 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden completed the top ten, with De Puniet finishing a MotoGP race in Qatar for the first time.

Chris Vermeulen was forced to return to the pits for a tyre change counting him out of the running for points, whilst the final debutant in the class Alex de Angelis, crashed out with five laps remaining.





Mattia Pasini took a rookie victory in the 250cc showdown in Qatar, with a triumph well deserved after his tribulations in last year’s 125cc race. The Polaris World Aprilia rider emerged from a second row start and involvement in a four-way battle to determine the podium spots to snatch the lead in the quarter litre category race with two laps remaining.

Pasini overtook eventual second place finisher Hector Barbera when the Pepe Team Toth rider was otherwise occupied with poleman Alex Debon, sneaking through on the inside. From there he pulled away to win the race by over half a second, with Red Bull KTM’s Mika Kallio rounding off the rostrum. Lotus Aprilia’s returning veteran Debon had to settle for fourth, agonisingly close to repeating his first career podium from the final race of last year.

Just dropping out of the duel having given the frontrunners some problems in the early going, JiR Team Scot’s Yuki Takahashi came home in fifth, ahead of Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista who suffered a mechanical problem towards the end of the race that withdrew him from the fight for victory.





Sergio Gadea became the first ever winner of a night time Grand Prix with victory in the 125cc class, beating Joan Olive and Stefan Bradl in an exciting season opener. The Bancaja Aspar rider overcame the pain of a shoulder injury to take a memorable triumph in his 70th race in the category.

The race was a breathtaking affair, with the possibility of victory for any number of riders. The final laps saw retirements for Onde 2000 KTM’s Raffaele de Rosa and reigning World Champion Gabor Talmacsi; the former colliding with Olive whilst the latter was forced to pull over with a mechanical problem.

Gadea and Olive having comfortably taking their podium places with late pushes to extend their respective advantages, the battle for the final rostrum spot became a hotly contested affair with a surprise winner. Grizzly Gas Kiefer rider Bradl pickpocketed Ajo Motorsport’s Mike di Meglio and Blusens Aprilia debutant Scott Redding as they tussled on the home straight, taking his first top three finish.

DeGraaf Grand Prix rider Danny Webb joined British compatriot Redding in the top six, ahead of Simone Corsi, Pol Espargaro, Efren Vazquez and Nico Terol.

Contrasting with the fortunes of Gadea, who could surely not have expected a win from the second row of the grid after a weekend of crashes and treatment, Polaris World poleman Bradley Smith suffered a repeat of the cruel misfortune suffered by the Aprilia team last year with former charge Mattia Pasini. After heading the practice and qualifying timesheets, Smith experienced a mechanical problem in the morning warm-up that recurred on the second lap of the 125cc showdown when he was leading the race.