The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team made a bright start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship in Qatar, Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow both concluding with points in the season opening night race.
Edwards made a sweltering start from the 10th position on the grid and was looking to force his way into the fight for the top six when he lost time by organization slightly off line at the second corner. Dropping back into 10th behind team-mate Crutchlow, he rapidly moved up to ninth to launch a pursuit of 2010 team-mate Ben Spies.
He closely followed his compatriot for the opening five laps, the 37 year-old setting a time and again fast pace in the mid-1'56" bracket. He shadowed the fast starting Hector Barbera until lap nine when he moved into eighth position. But he had lost too much time trying to pass the Spaniard to maintain the pressure on Spies and he finished eighth.
Crutchlow made an imposing MotoGP debut at the Losail International Circuit having started in front of Valentino Rossi and Edwards on the grid. Hampered again by the nasty left little finger wound he suffered during the pre-race test in Qatar less than a week ago, Crutchlow rose to the occasion brilliantly, fighting for the top ten for most of the 22-lap race.
He was right on the back of a group battling for ninth that was headed by Nicky Hayden, Hiroshi Aoyama and Barbera. But like Edwards previous in the race, Barbera proved tough to overtake and Crutchlow lost contact with Hayden and Aoyama with three laps remaining. He was satisfied for his determined performance when he swept by Barbera on the final lap to finish a enormously encouraging debut in 11th.
