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Stoner dominates in Qatar with decisive first victory of 2011

Bridgestone Racing reviews the 2011 Qatar MotoGP, where Stoner dominated with a decisive first victory of the seasonRound 1: Qatar GP – Race
Losail International Circuit, Sunday 20 March 2011

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Extra Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard

Casey Stoner continued his strong pre-season form to take a clear victory today in Qatar for the Repsol Honda Team, using the harder option front and rear Bridgestone slicks to finish over three seconds ahead of the field and set the fastest lap of the race.

The gap wasn’t always so large however, as teammate Dani Pedrosa fought Stoner hard for the first half of the 22-lap race, leading for much of it. Yamaha Factory rider and 2010 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo rode a determined race from third on the grid, leading on the first lap, to pass Pedrosa for second as the pair traded position in the closing laps.

Every rider used the harder option front and rear slicks for their extra durability over race distance, and consistency was good with Stoner setting the race fastest time on lap 13. Both he and Lorenzo also lapped in the 1-minute 55-second bracket until the penultimate lap, and Andrea Dovizioso set his personal best on the final lap.




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