DIFFICULT START TO THE SEASON FOR ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM IN QATAR

Tony Arbolino and Filip Salac were left to rue a wrong rear tyre choice as they finished out of the points in the season opener at the Lusail International Circuit.

The Lusail International Circuit in Qatar played host to the first round of the 2024 Moto2 season, and the first race of the new Pirelli era.

A surprise rain shower on Friday deprived the Moto2 field of dry running in evening conditions, meaning tyre selection was something of a gamble for the 18-lap race.

Unfortunately, Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Tony Arbolino and Filip Salac opted for the harder rear tyre option, with which they struggled. Both men still fought until the end to pick up valuable experience for the second round in Portugal.

Tony enjoyed a stellar opening to the race. Starting fifth, he was running in third on lap two, and in the midst of the victory fight.

But the Italian soon lost rear grip at a rapid rate and was unable to defend from the riders behind. The 23-year old was frustrated as he came home in 20th place.

Starting 19th on the grid, Filip started steadily and had gained a place by lap three. But like his team-mate, the Czech rider soon began to struggle with a lack of grip.

The 22-year old fought on until the final laps, and picked up 21st in his first race for the team. Filip is sure the experience gained over the weekend will stand him in good stead for races coming up.

TONY ARBOLINO, 20th

“I wasn’t able to do the race I wanted to do today. I wasn’t even pushing in the early laps but I started to have a really bad feeling with the tyre from the out lap. I knew it was going to be the worst race for me. I was losing grip, I was going wide, I was not able to overtake. But it is what it is. Now we have to analyse what happened tonight so we can be better in Portugal. I’m already looking forward to getting there and putting tonight’s result right.”

FILIP SALAC, 21st

“It wasn’t the best start of the season for us. That was one of the most difficult races of my career because I was struggling a lot with the tyres in the last laps. They were difficult to manage and there was no grip. We have to keep working and find the experience with the tyres. It wasn’t easy here this weekend but the season is long and not all is lost. I want to say thanks to the team. They worked so hard all weekend and I’m already thinking about making amends at the next race in Portugal.”