10. April 2012
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At the opening race of the season, two racers using Akrapovič exhaust systems on their race bikes stood under the spotlights on the highest podium steps.
The season of tearing up sticky tires and knee sliders in the elite motorcycle road racing classes is now open, and it got off to a promising start for Akrapovič. Already in the qualifying session of the MotoGP class, Jorge Lorenzo of the Yamaha factory team proved that Yamaha has taken a big step forward with its new 1000 cc machine, which he confirmed by collecting the maximum number of points.
The Spaniard’s comment on his first victory at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar: “What an amazing race! I put everything I have, all my energy into the track, this victory is because I never gave up, kept pushing and trying. Caseywas very strong at the beginning and opened a gap. Fortunately for us, he struggled at the end and dropped his pace where I could keep mine, so I managed to pass him. I’m very grateful to Yamaha because they made a big step forward this winter on the YZR-M1.”
Before Lorenzo, Marc Márquez and Andrea Iannone contributed to an even better overall tally under the floodlights of the racetrack in Qatar, staging a thrilling battle for first place in the Moto2 class. Márquez won in the end, beating Iannone by 0.061 seconds! We’re extremely pleased with the exciting race and the excellent results, knowing that the Akrapovič exhaust system helped both racers deliver a good performance. We’d also like to congratulate Sandro Cortese on winning third place at the historic race in the new Moto3 class, which replaced the category of 125 cc two-stroke machines. Starting this season, all the race bikes competing in the world championship are four-strokes, and so for the first time Akrapovič exhaust systems are being used in all classes. Of course, we want more victories—in all three classes. Let’s go, guys!
The next event will take place on 29 April in Jerez, Spain.
Photo: Yamaha Racing