Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) roared to victory in the Commericialbank Grand Prix of Qatar and opened his season in style taking his second Moto2 win, after starting from the first pole position of his career.

The German rider led from the start of the race and eventually won by a large margin of 4.330 seconds. This race last season was won by the late Shoya Tomizawa and under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit, an intense battle occurred for the positions between second and fifth.

The conditions were almost perfect, with hardly any breeze. In a field of 16 Grand Prix winners, racing is always tough in the intermediate class but it was Andrea Iannone (Speed Master) who grabbed the second spot on the rostrum and gained his 14th podium of his career. After starting down in 16th place, the Italian clawed his way up to ninth place at the end of lap one and was up to second place by lap nine.

Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) finished third after equalling his best ever qualifying starting from third position. Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) was overtaken by Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) on the last lap and dropped to fifth place.


After a poor start from the front row, reigning 125cc World Champion Marc Márquez (Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol) found life more difficult in his Moto2 debut and crashed out in the first part of the twenty lap race.

Simone Corsi (Ioda Racing Project) was sixth, 14.217 seconds behind the race winner. He beat Frenchman Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing) on the line in a close finish. Michele Pirro (Gresini Racing Moto2) was eighth, just behind the duo. Bradley Smith (Tech 3) was the best debutant recording a ninth placed finish, beating Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar).

Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing) who started from the fourth row was unable to make an impression in the opening round of the season. After flying off the track at the start, he had to rejoin at the back of the field without his left foot rest, eventually finishing 33rd.