CFMOTO help to light up Lusail & Qatar for penultimate MotoGP™ Grand Prix of the season

CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP took flight for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar and captured more world championship points under the wonderfully novel Lusail International Circuit lights as the 2023 MotoGP season neared a conclusion. The only night race on the schedule witnessed a ‘shining’ performance by Joel Kelso as he ran with the leaders and ended with 13th position late Sunday afternoon. Xavi Artigas managed 20th place after 16 manic laps for round nineteen of twenty.

-MotoGP revisits the Lusail International Circuit and the benchmark setting lighting system for the traditional nocturnal Qatar Grand Prix. The championship usually opens in the country but comprehensive upgrade work at Lusail meant the race filled round 19 of 20 in 2023 instead.

-CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP take part in several valuable promotion opportunities for the flagship motorcycle fixture in the gulf region and help to present the 450SR S and 800 NK GP to both Qatari and International fans at the circuit.

-Joel Kelso pushes the #66 race machine to initial podium contention but then grabs three points for 13th, just four seconds from the win

-Xavi Artigas builds on one of his best second half of the season performances at Malaysia last week with a race time close to the winner but a result on the fringe of the top twenty

-The final Grand Prix of the triple header and the 2023 campaign will take place in cooler conditions and around the flat, ‘stadium-setting’ of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, next weekend.

The heat of Malaysia was swapped for the heat of Qatar but the MotoGP series could count on the cooler air of the Lusail evenings for the crucial race distances. Lusail had enjoyed a major facelift in time for the 2023 Formula One Grand Prix earlier this year and MotoGP also benefitted from the upscaled paddock and working facilities.

The 5.4km, 16-corner trajectory remained the same though; save for a resurfacing of the asphalt that still provided a sandy, ‘dirty’ test that ate into tire life. Lusail mixed fast kinks with tighter 180 corners and open bends: it is a technical prospect that rider had to link together for the best lap-time. Moto3 sessions took place in the mid-afternoon and at dusk as the sun dipped and the temperatures started to decrease.

CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP worked on honing the set-up of the prototype 250kmph machines to suit the track and the climate circumstances. Artigas immediately felt at home and rasped to the 6th quickest lap-time on Friday: one of his brightest starts to a Grand Prix this season. The Spaniard earned his Q2 slot and Kelso wasn’t left behind. The Australian was 8th fastest by the end of the third and final practice. It was Joel who shone in Q2 with the 7th best lap as Artigas was just over a second adrift with 15th on the grid.

Sunday’s race took place just after ‘golden hour’ local time. The red light vanished to kick-off the 16 laps and the CFMOTO bikes slotted into the packed front running group. Lusail bunched 17 riders together and Kelso was right at the front until a small misjudgment braking into Turn 1 at mid-race distance forced the Aussie wide and he had to plough back through the pack. Artigas was in the same gaggle, only a couple of seconds from P1. The contest filtered down to the final lap and among the chaos Joel was able to take 13th while Xavi was bustled to 20th; 8 seconds from the winner.

One Grand Prix and 25 points remain in play for 2023. Artigas is 15th in the championship standings and can still reach 13th. Kelso’s injury-interrupted season means he lies 18th and can still grab another two places. CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP are currently the 9th best team.

Spain. Valencia. Round twenty and the 2023 curtain-closer. MotoGP will rush around another flat and recognizable track next weekend when the Ricardo Tormo Circuit presents the latest ever conclusion to a world championship season and a roll of the dice with the elements in the east of the Iberian Peninsula.

Joel Kelso: “Good start but I hit the dirty stuff and lost positions down to 14th or 15th. I caught up with some decent laps, so I had the pace. It was just a mistake out of the three bike slipstream. It is what it is, and we’ll have another go in Valencia.”

Xavier Artigas: “A good feeling here and a better start in the race: which was something we needed in Malaysia. A bit of a shame to lose out across the finish line every time and that small slice of top speed we were missing conditioned the race. I tried my very best but it was not enough today.”

Moto3 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar

1. Jaume Masia (ESP) Honda 33:50.694

2. David Alonso (COL) GASGAS +0.068

3. Deniz Öncü (TUR) KTM +0.163

13. Joel Kelso (AUS) CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP +4.060

20. Xavier Artigas (ESP), CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP +7.934

Moto3 2023 world championship standings after 19 of 20 rounds

1. Jaume Masia (ESP) Honda 271 points

2. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN) Husqvarna, 243

3. David Alonso (COL) GASGAS, 225

15. Xavier Artigas (ESP) CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP, 77

18. Joel Kelso (AUS), CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP, 52