Heavy rain and abysmal track drainage put paid to any action at Qatar today, with all free practice and qualifying sessions cancelled, and a large number of trackside fans going home disappointed
In place of qualifying, grid positions will be decided on combine free practice times from the previous two days – with all fingers crossed that there are not further weather problems to interrupt racing on Sunday.
Assuming dry weather tomorrow, all three classes will have morning warm-up extended from 20 to 30 minutes, starting with Moto3 at 15:20 local time; with the race schedule as before, starting at 18:00. More rain tomorrow will throw everything out.
Today’s debacle was an object lesson in hubris and folly; questioning the wisdom of the Qatar GP, the quality of track planning and construction, as well as the need to run it at night, with the extra problems of floodlights on wet surfaces and dense spray, at a time of year when even without rain temperatures are not so high.
Wet track, Qatar MotoGP 2017
But perhaps nobody could have anticipated the unprecedented levels of water and the continuation of rain that spoiled Moto2 and Moto3 tests the weekend before. It resumed with intensity last night and again today. The underpass into the circuit was deeply flooded, and standing water in terminally flooded run-off areas left at least four rivers running across the track long after the rain had stopped.
Hours after it was over, after repeated delays and postponements and in spite of intensive efforts with jet-engine dryers and squads of men with brooms and squeegees, although much of the track was dry, the wet sections remained unrideable.
Weather problems have hit the desert race in the past: in 2009 heavy rain just before the start meant the MotoGP race was postponed until Monday.
Wet track, Qatar MotoGP 2017
But a decision that spray and reflections would make it impossible to run under floodlights in the wet was ready to be reversed this weekend, after a February test by Dorna’s Loris Capirossi and Franco Uncini on an artificially wettened circuit suggested otherwise.
There were plans to test this, if the weather obliged, this weekend … but the failure of track drainage made that impossible.
With resurfacing of the Losail circuit already under discussion, a major revision of drainage will be added to the list. This was confirmed by race direction committee member Loris Capirossi, facing some awkward questions at a special press conference late on Saturday night.
Capirossi, former 125 and 250 champion and MotoGP race winner, as well as safety adviser and riders’ representative, took a strong company line in absolving anyone from blame for the debacle, including the circuit itself.
“At any track where there is a lot of rain – Malaysia, and also in the past at Misano – we would do the same. Safety is the most important consideration,” he said.
“For next year, the riders have asked for a new asphalt which is here since 2004. For sure we also want to do some work on drainage. That is our number one plan.”
He could not commit himself on plans to cope with more rain on race day, tomorrow. “If we have a lot of rain, we have to find a solution,” was his comment – though he did not rule out postponement until Monday.
He promised that, if not tomorrow, a test would be run before next year’s race, giving MotoGP riders a chance to verify if it would be possible to run in wet conditions under floodlights. They had hoped to be able to do so this weekend. “That is why we asked Michelin and Dunlop to bring wet tyres.”
Paddock, Qatar MotoGP 2017
Asked directly whether this had not been considered at MotoGP tests two weeks ago,
With no track action today, Maverick Vinales’s domination of free practice gave the new Movistar Yamaha rider his first pole position in the premier class – on a time set in the very first session.
“It’s very strange, but we did a great lap time. But I am disappointed about today. We had things we needed to try. Our set-up is basically the same as at the test, so we need the extra warm-up tomorrow, because the grip will be different,” he said.
Andrea Iannone was second in his first Suzuki outing, with a single fast lap at the end of the third session. “Very important,” he said. “But it will be very difficult. Marquez and Vinales have a very strong pace. We don’t know the race situation.”
Marc Marquez took the last place on the front row, and emphasised the need for extra time tomorrow. “Although with testing and practice I’ve done more than 200 laps here, we need more laps. We are still adjusting some parameters.”
Vinales’s advantage was just over half a second clear; times were close in his wake, with all the way to Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) in 15th within one second of Iannone, making positions something of a lottery.
Johann Zarco was Mr Lucky, heading row two in his first outing in MotoGP, on the Monster Yamaha. The Moto2 champion had shown well in the top ten already, but admitted his best time had come following Vinales in the final session.
He was narrowly faster than Andrea Dovizioso on the top Ducati; with FP2 leader Scott Redding beside him on his satellite Pramac Ducati.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) led row three from the second impressive Monster Yamaha rookie Jonas Folger and LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow.
Crowds, Qatar MotoGP 2017
There were big names on row for, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) heading it, and his former team-mate Jorge Lorenzo on the far end, but professing himself more comfortable with his pace than his position in his first race on the factory Ducati.
In between them; Danilo Petrucci on the second Pramac Ducati.
Vinales, Qatar MotoGP 2017
Today’s problems gave a first pole position to Franco Morbidelli, with Marc VDS Kalex team-mate Alex Marquez alongside with a time less than three hundredths of a second slower. Last year’s winner Thomas Luthi (CarXpert Kalex) completed the front row.
Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Kalex) led the second from Miguel Oliveira on the new Red Bull KTM and Danny Kent on the best of the returned Suters.
The top 22 were within one second, with Moto3 champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) 22nd, and Australian Remy Gardner was 23rd in his first outing on the Tech 3.
Remy Gardner, Moto2, Qatar MotoGP 2017
It was a first pole also in Moto3 for Jorge Martin (Gresini Honda), with Peter Oettl (Schedl KTM) alongside, and Romano Fenati (Rivacold Honda) third. The Red Bull KTM pair, Bo Bendsneyder ahead of ex-Honda rider Niccolo Antonelli, led row two.
Girls, Qatar MotoGP 2017
By Michael Scott