MotoGP will contest another race on the Losail circuit this weekend, but not as the Qatar GP, but as the Doha GP. We explain why it’s called that.
Just one week after the start of the 2021 MotoGP season, the Losail circuit The second race of the year, which is not called, also takes place here Qatar Grand Prix It’s called the Doha Grand Prix.
The Losail circuit was built at the end of 2003 and has been on the MotoGP calendar since 2004. In addition, it was the first round of the World Cup in 2008, which was held at night, and it has preserved this nature ever since.
Why is it called the MotoGP Doha Grand Prix?
Every Grand Prix on the MotoGP calendar has to have a different name than everyone else, so race two at Losail might not be a Qatar Grand Prix. Indeed, and although it is also known as “Qatar 2”, this second appointment of the 2021 season will be known by the name of the country’s capital, Doha.
The circuit is actually 20 kilometers northeast of Doha, but the city is the most famous in the country, along with its capital, and the race organizers wanted the name to be popular.
What is Doha?
Doha is the capital of Qatar, a country in the Persian Gulf. It is estimated that it has almost two million inhabitants and has hosted numerous events of great importance in the world of sports in recent years: the 2014 Short Swimming World Championship, the 2016 Road Cycling Championship, the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics, 2019 Athletics and the icing on the cake in 2022, when some World Cup matches are played here.
Why is MotoGP racing twice on the same track?
The pandemic of COVID-19 The MotoGP calendar 2020 was completely revised last year. The travel restrictions due to the pandemic forced the World Cup to only take place in Europe. In order to fill the 14 events of last season and, moreover, to limit the countries visited (9), it was decided that several racetracks would have two races.
The season was a success despite the situation around the planet, and the idea of repeating the Grand Prix on the same track stayed there. And when MotoGP had to suspend it Argentine GP and that of USA (also from the Coronavirus), which was due to take place this April, had a blank month and no races, so he reached out to Qatar to fill the calendar.
Additionally, Qatar was the only preseason venue, which limited mobility, and in fact there were those who stayed there from the tests until the second race. Suzuki, for example, has been in the country since the tests and will stay with Qatar 2 until after this.
Finally, the time between the tests and the second race in Qatar allowed room for the vaccination, which the Kingdom of MotoGP offered and which many riders and teams accepted.
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Are you going to compete in MotoGP twice on other tracks this year?
In MotoGP’s 19-race calendar for 2021, only Losail’s appointment is currently repeated.
However, the world in general, and the sport in particular, are at the mercy of the pandemic and if the coronavirus has to cancel some of the events, MotoGP could fall back on another double Grand Prix on the same track as it did in 2020.
Race tracks on which two MotoGP races were held in 2020
Jerez: GP of Spain and GP of Andalusia Spielberg: GP of Austria and GP of Styria Misano: GP of San Marino and GP of Emilia-Romagna Motorland: GP of Aragon and GP of TeruelCheste: GP of Valencia and GP of Europe
Race tracks on which two Formula 1 races were held in 2020
Spielberg: GP of Austria and GP of Styria Silverstone: GP of Great Britain and GP for the 70th anniversary Sakhir: GP of Bahrain and GP of Sakhir
Will MotoGP do anything different than the Austrian Grand Prix?
No. The two Grand Prix in Qatar have exactly the same format, last the same laps, have the same track configuration and take place at the same hours. The only thing that changes is that the Thursday, Friday and Saturday sessions of the Doha GP will be an hour later than those of the Qatar GP as the time in Spain was changed last Sunday morning.
Gallery: All podiums and winners of the MotoGP Qatar GP
2004.Sete Gibernau (Honda)
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podiums: 1º Sieben Gibernau, 2º Colin Edwards, 3º Ruben Xaus
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
2005. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podium: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Marco Melandri, 3rd Nicky Hayden
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
2006. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
Camel Media Service
Podium: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Nicky Hayden, 3rd Loris Capirossi
Repsol Media
2007. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
Ducati Corse
Podium: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Dani Pedrosa
Yamaha Motorsport
2008. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
Ducati Corse
Podium: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Dani Pedrosa
Bridgestone Corporation
2009. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
Ducati Corse
Podium: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Jorge Lorenzo
Yamaha Motorsport
2010. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
Bridgestone Corporation
Podium: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Andrea Dovizioso
Red Bull GmbH and GEPA Bilder GmbH
2011. Casey Stoner (Honda)
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podium: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Dani Pedrosa
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
2012. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
Yamaha Motorsport
Podium: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Casey Stoner
Repsol Media
2013 Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
Yamaha MotoGP
Podium: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Marc Márquez
Yamaha MotoGP
2014. Marc Marquez (Honda)
Repsol Media
Podium: 1st Marc Marquez, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Dani Pedrosa
Yamaha MotoGP
2015. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
Yamaha MotoGP
Podium: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Andrea Dovizioso, 3rd Andrea Iannone
Yamaha MotoGP
2016. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
Yamaha
Podium: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Andrea Dovizioso, 3rd Marc Márquez
Michelin Sport
2017. Maverick Viñales (Yamaha)
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podium: 1st Maverick Viñales, 2nd Andrea Dovizioso, 3rd Valentino Rossi
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
2018. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team)
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podium: 1st Dovizioso, 2nd Marquez, 3rd Rossi
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
2019. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team)
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podiums: 1st Dovizioso, 2nd Marquez, 3rd Crutchlow
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
2021: Maverick Viñales, Yamaha Factory Racing
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
Podium: 1st Maverick Viñales, 2nd Johann Zarco, 3rd Francesco Bagnaia
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures