MotoGP Qatar 1 J1: what time do free practice take place this Friday?

Let's go for the 2021 Grand Prix season! And it is Qatar which opens hostilities. This will be the 18th time that a Grand Prix has been organized on the Losail international circuit and the 14th time under the spotlights. This will be the 15th consecutive year that the circuit has hosted the season opener, although in 2020 only the Moto2 and Moto3 races were staged, with the MotoGP race having been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So as not to miss anything of this start, here are the times of the free sessions for this Friday...

Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer in Qatar with eight victories in MotoGP, thanks to three different drivers: Valentino Rossi (2005, 2006, 2010, 2015), Jorge Lorenzo (2012, 2013, 2016) and Maverick Vinales (2017)

Ducati took five MotoGP victories at Losail with two riders: Casey Stoner (2007, 2008, 2009) and Andrea Dovizioso (2018, 2019). It is the premier category circuit that is most successful for Ducati, with Sepang, Austria and Motegi.

Honda took three MotoGP victories in Qatar, the most recent being that of Marc Marquez in 2014 from pole. Since he moved up to the premier category, Marc Marquez was always the first Honda driver at the end of the race. This year, inevitably, this series will stop due to its package.

The best result of Suzuki in Qatar is fourth place, with John Hopkins and in 2007 alex rins in 2019. The reigning champion Joan mir has only raced in the category once in Qatar, taking eighth place in 2019 as the highest-placed rookie.

Qatar: it's better to start from the front line

The sixth position ofAleix I will espargaro in Qatar in 2017 matched the best result ofAprilia realized by Colin Edwards at Suzuka in 2003. The same I will espargaro then equaled it in Aragon in 2017 and 2018, just like Andrea Iannone in Australia in 2019.

KTM made its MotoGP debut in Qatar in 2017. The Austrian manufacturer's best result on this circuit in this category is 12th place Pol Espargaro in 2019. With Johann zarco 15th was also the only time that KTM riders scored points in Qatar.

The MotoGP race in Qatar has only been won four times by a rider who did not qualify on the front row: Valentino Rossi (2006, 2015), Casey Stoner (2008) et Andrea Dovizioso (2018). The top 15 of the MotoGP race in Qatar in 2019 was the closest ever in the category. There was 15,093 seconds between Andrea Dovizioso and Johann Zarco.