MotoGP, Webb: Rain? No qualifiers if the riders say no

What had been feared has happened: the rains came to Qatar and it was not just a simple shower. The rain fell for a long time and the roads that lead to the Losail circuit are dotted with countless puddles to navigate around.

The track is also not in the best of conditions. Emilio Alzamora, after a lap on the track, gave this warning: “You can’t lap like this. There are flooded corners like number 1, 4, 7 and 11. They are fast places and it is too dangerous to ride in these conditions.”

Race Direction has decided that at 6 PM local time they will let the MotoGP riders onto the track for a wet session. It will be up to them to decide whether or not to lap.

The Director, Mike Webb, in response to our direct question, was very clear: “Loris Capirossi and Franco Uncini are monitoring the situation. The MotoGP riders will go on the track at 6 PM and they will tell us if the situation is feasible. If their response is negative? Then everything would be stopped.”

If the same situation were to occur tomorrow as well, radio paddock says that the race could be moved up and they are thinking about doing the same for the GP next year, with Moto3 therefore racing in the daylight.