#HiroAoyama

Fausto Gresini has been in a difficult spot for most of his 28 years in command of grand prix motorcycle racing teams, generally burning breathtaking sums of his own money and money he has personally raised from sponsors. As a rider himself in the 1980s, Gresini won two world titles in the 125cc class. As an owner, his teams have included a kaleidoscope of title sponsors and have won titles in the 250cc and Moto2 classes. In 2015, the Italian helms Aprilia’s re-entry into the MotoGP class with riders Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri.

For the second year in a row, The Grand Prix of Qatar delivered a riveting race with unexpected results. The 2014 edition saw putative race favorite Jorge Lorenzo dump his Yamaha M1 on the first lap, paving the way for a cage match between teammate Valentino Rossi and defending Repsol Honda world champion Marc Marquez in which Marquez prevailed by a quarter second. A year later, it was the favorite Marquez going walkabout on Lap 1, setting up a night-long rumble between the factory Yamahas and the factory Ducatis (what?) in which Rossi eventually pipped Andrea Dovizioso at the flag.