The upcoming event at Lusail marks the 22nd Grand Prix since its inclusion in the calendar back in 2004, with an impressive 18 races happening in the night. Until 2022, the Qatar GP served as the first race of the season. It was moved later in the schedule last year because the track underwent renovations, but it is back as the season opener this year with a renovated paddock and improved facilities.
Ducati is the clear favourite at the world-famous Losail International Circuit after displaying dominant performances in preseason testing in Qatar and Malaysia. Marc Marquez's debut with the Italian squad, following his departure from Honda with a year remaining on his contract, is adding to the excitement. Fans of MotoGP are becoming itchy to see the exciting season opener at Lusail, where the beautiful new infrastructure will serve as a backdrop.
MotoGP: Marc Marquez
Marquez hasn't won a race since 2021, when he was riding a bike that could have challenged for the championship had his right arm been in good working order. Last year, the RC213V failed to impress, and the first 2024 prototype that was handed to him at the post-race Misano test in September failed to inspire any optimism. In the event that Marc Marquez takes home the chequered flag, he will have gone 868 days since his previous Grand Prix victory.
MotoGP: Yamaha and Qatar
As a manufacturer, Yamaha has had more success at Lusail than any other, with ten MotoGP victories amongst four riders, the most of whom is Valentino Rossi. Just one race, the 2021/2 Doha GP, was won by Fabio Quartararo at Lusail, racing in MotoGP. Quartararo began the 2019 MotoGP season in the pit lane after a grid stall, but he still managed to finish sixteenth. In 2023, he came in seventh.
While his new teammate Alex Rins has only ever finished third in Moto3 in Qatar in 2013. He was the 2014 Moto3 race pole sitter. His highest MotoGP finish in Qatar was fourth in 2019 and 2021–22, both with Suzuki.
MotoGP: Honda and Qatar
Honda won three MotoGP races in Qatar, with three different riders taking home the wins. MotoGP rider Joan Mir's best finish here was fourth place in the 2021–21 season. He now races with Luca Marini, and his best Grand Prix finish at Lusail was third place in MotoGP in 2023. Additionally
MotoGP: Ducati and Qatar
There have been seven MotoGP wins for Ducati in Qatar with four riders. If at least one Ducati places in the top three, it will be the 61st race in a row that a Ducati rider has started on the front row, dating back to Valencia 2020. Francesco Bagnaia has finished in third place four times at Lusail. In 2018, he won Moto2 and went on to win the title. Enea Bastianini, who races with Bagnaia in the Ducati Lenovo Team, has been on the podium three times at Lusail and won in 2022.
MotoGP: Aprilia and Qatar
For Aprilia, their best MotoGP result in Qatar was P4 with Aleix Espargaro (2022). Maverick Vinales has three wins at Lusail, including a MotoGP win in both 2017 (from pole), his first race with Yamaha, and in 2021/1. He finished P4 in 2023, equalling Aprilia’s best result from Aleix Espargaro in 2022.
MotoGP: KTM and Qatar
KTM's first full-time MotoGP race was at Lusail in 2017. Brad Binder's second-place finish in 2022 is still the best result for the Austrian company at this track in the class. Jack Miller's best MotoGP score at Lusail is eighth place with Honda in 2017.
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