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So, an entertaining race to kick off the 2016 MotoGP season.

Thank you for joining us this evening. We'll leave you with MITCHELL ADAM's report of the curtain-raiser, and see you next time.

Lorenzo overcomes early Ducati assault in Qatar
Bradl, Baz, Crutchlow, Iannone and Hernandez failed to finish.
Full order: Lorenzo, Dovizioso, Marquez, Rossi, Pedrosa, Vinales, Espargaro, P. Espargaro, Smith, Barbera, Redding, A. Espargaro, Bautista, Miller, Rabat.
The Italian then wins the drag race to the line to take second, ahead of Marquez and Rossi, who finishes just 0.100s off the podium.
Marquez fires back down the inside of Dovizioso at the final corner, but runs slightly wide, letting Dovizioso back past.
Checkered flag
Jorge Lorenzo wins the Qatar Grand Prix.
No change at the top so far this lap.
Will Rossi try to make a move on Marquez? Remember his 2015 last-lap heroics?
Dovizioso edges back past Marquez at the start of the final lap.
Stopwatch
A casual fastest lap for Lorenzo that last time around, a 1m54.927s.
Dovizioso is still right behind Marquez, and Rossi is with them now as well.
Two laps to go. Lorenzo leads by 1.841s.
Maybe now. Fastest second and third sectors of the race from Lorenzo in response.
With three laps to go, Marquez is 1.159s behind Lorenzo. Can he fight him down?
Just about. Dovizioso draws level into Turn 1, but Marquez turns in and keeps second place.
Can Marquez stay ahead of the Ducati on the straight?
He fires down the inside and takes second!
Marquez is all over Dovizioso with four laps to go.
Replays show Rossi running wide, losing a bit more of that time to the lead three.
Rossi has fallen off the back of the lead three a little, but has just set his best lap of the race, faster than the men he is pursuing that last time around.
Information
Five laps to go.
Future KTM rider Smith is now up to eighth, having passed Barbera in the third sector that last time around.
Replays show Baz losing his Avintia Ducati at Turn 2 a little earlier.
Stopwatch
A new fastest lap of the race for Lorenzo, a 1m55.109s. Dovizioso also improves, to 1m55.149s, the margin is now 0.462s.
Laptimes are still improving as the fuel wears off, new personal best time for Lorenzo last time around.
Lorenzo is now half a second clear of Dovizioso, with eight laps to go.
Further down the order, Laverty and Miller have been trading 12th place, it's the Northern Irishman with the position currently.
As Rossi sets a new fastest lap, a 1m55.281s. Still just 1.155s covering the top four.
Marquez now looks like he fancies taking second from Dovizioso.
Dovizioso has taken a little bit of time back out of Lorenzo, the gap is 0.238s with nine laps to go. Marquez is keeping a watching brief, Rossi there as well.
Bradl has now crashed out of the race on his Aprilia, at Turn 15. He is walking away unhurt.

By: Matt Beer

Published: