Luis Salom has triumphed in an action-packed first Moto race of 2013, winning the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar. In a five-rider battle, Maverick Viales sealed second place from lex Rins, lex Mrquez and Jonas Folger.On Saturday, Red Bull KTM Ajos Salom had achieved a career-first pole position as he prepared to launch his title attack in the best possible way. As the red lights went out, it was Estrella Galicia 0,0s Rins who stole the top spot as GO&FUN Gresini Moto3s Niccol Antonelli lost control and became the first retirement of the season.As the top five began to break away from the chasing pack, a blanket could have been thrown over Salom, Rins, Team Calvos Maverick Viales, Rins teammate lex Mrquez and Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3s Jonas Folger. The lead would change on numerous occasions across the 18 laps of the Losail International Circuit, but on the seventh tour came a critical moment for Folger, who lost ground on the top four as he ran out wide and onto the dusty off-line surface; a late-race charge saw him catch and challenge those in front, although the German would be forced to settle for fifth place.Rins having was in front by the halfway point, as Mrquezyounger brother of MotoGP rookie Marc Mrquezshot ahead for the first time on Lap 13. Over the remaining five laps, the Estrella Galicia duo would go head-to-head but it was Viales, having waited patiently, who looked to have seized the show at the start of the penultimate tour, only for Rins and Mrquez to slide through once again as Viales (on painkillers) continued to suffer from a hand injury sustained in testing.Persistence paid off for pole-sitter Salom at the start of the final lap, confidently taking the lead before opening out a gap. He would cross the line four tenths of a second ahead of Viales who was involved in a photo finish with Rins, as Mrquez completed the top four. Some 16 seconds behind Folger, Red Bull KTM Ajos Zulfahmi Khairuddin beat Mahindra Racings Miguel Oliveira to seventh as Red Bull KTM Ajos Arthur Sissis, Avant Tecnos Niklas Ajo and Efrn Vzquez rounded out the top ten. In 20th spot, female rider Ana Carrasco impressed on the second Team Calvo bike, passing several rivals despite a distinct lack of track time this weekend.After Antonelli, a further three riders would fall but also walked away: these were CIP Moto3s Alan Techer, Ognetta-Centro Setas Isaac Viales and Caretta TechnologyRTGs John McPhee, whose retirement came on the final lap of the race.The Moto World Championship will continue at the brand-new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in a two weeks time