Well, I think it’s fair to say that MotoGP has had better opening weekends.
Rain very much disrupted play throughout the majority of Saturday and Sunday at Losail. Saturday was completely cancelled, resulting in practice times deciding the grid, whilst Sunday saw the MotoGP race delayed for over 45 minutes due to showers.
Now, in normal circumstances, rain wouldn’t be an issue. But this is Qatar…
Since 2007, Qatar has been the traditional beginning of the MotoGP season. From 2008 onwards the races at Qatar have been held under the floodlights, becoming the first top tier Motorsport championship to have a night race.
However, times have changed. The initial buzz from how good the bikes looked under the lights has long since passed, and the gimmick is now becoming more of a farce every year.
Why? well, Rain is firmly an issue, in the desert of all places. Qatar isn’t a place that sees much rain. But, somehow, it always seems to when MotoGP rolls into town.
Riders are very divided on whether they will ride in the wet at Losail. Something made very apparent before the race was given the go ahead on Sunday. Some were completely fine with going out, whilst some objected to even the prospect of going out on a wet surface.
Tests done before the season have shown that it is possible for a wet race, and Sunday showed that it is possible. However, if it was a day race, this wouldn’t even be a discussed issue!
Qatar’s main problem with the rain is the lack of drainage on track. This is something that will surely have to be addressed if the organisers want to keep the night race format, especially after this year’s mess.
If conditions are deemed unsafe, then it is a massive issue for everybody. Cancelled sessions mean rescheduling, with races even possibly being moved to the next day which could mean a Monday night race.
This is a massive issue for everyone. For broadcasters, they have to shake up their entire schedule and may be forced to shove MotoGP onto a secondary channel. It’s also an issue for fans. Many may not be able to watch a Monday evening race, be that on TV or at the track. Qatar attendances are normally poor anyway, and I don’t think a Monday race would help anyone.
Thankfully, we got to see the MotoGP race on Sunday, and not see the repeat of what happened in 2009. In 2009, this scenario happened, where the race was moved to Monday, and many thought it would be an isolated incident. Sadly, this has proven not to be the case.
This simply wouldn’t happen anywhere else, and that’s the main issue. For it to happen elsewhere, we’d have to have the tropical conditions we saw in Assen last season. Even then, thanks to Assen’s drainage actually working effectively, we were able to go racing after the conditions became acceptable.
The night race has issues even if you ignore the rain. The weekend starts on Thursday, down to the fact that testing during the day would be pointless as the conditions would be completely different.
Then, as soon as the time hits 10 pm, moisture begins to form on the circuit and it is actually unsafe for anyone to ride on it. This means that on Saturday the Moto2 and Moto3 riders get no practice before qualifying. For the fans, they get even less for their money.
All this for what? ‘A unique spectacle under the floodlights’? The gimmick is dead, Dorna. It’s time to stop.
Sure, the Qatari organisers wouldn’t be happy to see the day race return, but for the interests of the sport, I think it has to.
Yes, money is a big factor in these discussions. Qatar is a rich country, and they obviously put MotoGP in very high regard. However, sometimes you have to look past the monetary gain when so much is at stake.
Formula One can easily run a night race, but driving a car in the wet is very different to riding a bike. I’d rather see day races at Qatar than have to wait around whilst people run around not knowing what to do.
So come on, Dorna, it’s time to wake up to the fact that a few pretty pictures aren’t worth it for all the hassle that goes into the Qatar GP. Scrap it.
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