The eagerly-awaited Grand Prix of Qatar that was due to start at 23.00 today under the floodlights of the Losail circuit near Doha had to be postponed because of rain. Just as the Repsol Honda riders and the rest of the grid were about to start the formation lap, heavy rain began to fall in the desert, creating a mirror-like track surface.
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The riders have not ridden in full wet conditions under the floodlights that surround the 5.380km (3.343-mile) Losail circuit and the dazzling effect of the lights’ reflection was considered a genuine safety hazard. After much deliberation, with the rain continuing to fall, the organisers decided to postpone the race by a day. So the MotoGP season opener is now planned to start at 21.00 on Monday, with the warm-up at 18.30. Dani Pedrosa
Dani Pedrosa
“This has been a really strange situation tonight. With such heavy rain it would definitely have been dangerous to ride under the floodlights, so the decision to cancel the race was the right one. At first we thought the race was going to be called off completely and I can’t say that this would have been bad for me personally because my condition is not 100 per cent. But we came to Qatar to race so we’ll come back and go for the maximum result tomorrow.”
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Andrea Dovizioso
“For all the adrenalin that built up during practice and qualifying to be followed by the cancelled race was a real anti-climax. So I think it’s good that we race tomorrow night. There may be less grip after the rain that fell on the track tonight, but that will be the same for everybody. Also with the tyres, the situation is equal for all the riders. From the team’s point of view, it will be really useful for us to get the race data, so I’m glad we’re coming back tomorrow.”
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