Even top riders need a team to stay in the highest category.
As soon as they appeared, Yan Xiaoqiang showed astonishing potential, setting a fast pace in the first sector, followed closely by Zhang Ningyu. Both riders had a good speed in the first section.
This is a group of energetic and striving young people. In Moto3, you can give up, but everyone around you is just like you, full of ambition, passion, and desire. They will seize every opportunity from your mistakes to pave their own way forward.
The Moto3 qualifying session ended with Zhang Ningyu in sixth place and Yan Xiaoqiang in fifth. Their training during the New Year period had clearly paid off, and they had both improved significantly.
The two returned to the pit garage. With qualifying over, they now had to wait for the main race to begin that evening.
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Seven o'clock in the evening.
"Boss, what scent would you like for your helmet and leathers?"
In the pit garage, a team technician approached Lin Yan to inquire about his preferences for his racing suit.
"Lavender, please."
Shaking his head, Lin Yan sat up from the resting chair. With an hour left until the main race, he prepared to warm up, while at the same time, his motorcycle was being fitted with tire warmers.
Seven-thirty in the evening. Darkness had fully descended. The air temperature in Qatar reached nineteen degrees Celsius, and the track temperature was twenty-two degrees Celsius. The lights were all illuminated, promising a night of intense racing.
With twenty minutes remaining until the race start, the riders and their teams pushed their bikes onto the track, lining them up in order.
Lin Yan occupied the pole position, followed by Gardner in second and Rinsler in third. Notably, Viñales was in fourth. Suzuki's performance in terms of straight-line speed this year was truly impressive. Fifth was Morbidelli, and sixth was Joan Mir. Yamaha's performance here was slightly weaker.
Though the night was deep, the spectator stands were ablaze with light. The massive incandescent lamps above each stand illuminated the areas in front of them brightly.
Su Mojin was not wearing a skirt today. Instead, she wore black and gray jeans with a black women's shirt on top. Among the umbrella-wielding grid girls, she appeared remarkably understated, yet her beauty was in a league of its own.
Her stunning looks drew a flurry of shots from the photographers. Indeed, the couple was also the most favored by the audience, commonly referred to as the "GP couple."
Beside her, Gardner was intently watching Lin Yan. He knew that if he wanted to make a name for himself in the future, this man before him would be his greatest rival.
The twenty minutes passed quickly, and the time reached eight o'clock. Su Mojin and Lin Yan shared a brief embrace before heading to the track with their technicians.
"Be safe!"
"Don't worry, wife."
The safety car pulled out, leading the pack for a reconnaissance lap around the circuit.
Once the safety car completed its lap and returned behind the riders, the red flag waved, the green flag was withdrawn, and the entire field became solemn.
The red lights illuminated!
Thirty-one riders lined up neatly on their fuel tanks, feet planted on the ground.
Lights out, and away they go!
The moment the red lights extinguished, under the night sky, thirty-one factory bikes simultaneously erupted with a deafening roar of engines.
Lin Yan took the lead, the long straight at Qatar allowing Ducati's horsepower to be utilized to its fullest. However, Gardner was not far behind, his bike only half a bike length adrift of Lin Yan.
"This rookie Gardner has had a fantastic start, keeping pace with Lin Shen right from the beginning. Alright, we're approaching Turn 1 now, a heavy braking zone. Let's see how they handle their braking."
Hao Dong's commentary was rapid-fire, the initial part of the race being the most demanding for the commentators.
"The pack enters Turn 1, and the riders begin to brake. Watch Lin Shen's rear wheel lifting."
Downshifting four gears, Lin Yan's speed abruptly dropped from 240 km/h to 130 km/h.