Last time this happened? Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril in 2010. Torrential rain fell on the route forcing the Race Direction to make the same decisions.
An unexpected rain
Loris Capirossi, representative of the Safety Commission, visited the Losail Circuit in February to assess the conditions of the track when it is wet. It wasn't raining but the track had been flooded. “We wanted to understand the situation, because no one had driven in the wet at night. The conditions were obviously not the same as today,” explained the Italian.
“It wasn't as bad, but we have to give the drivers the opportunity to test. The decision always comes from the drivers who judge whether it is possible to ride or not. »
Driving under the floodlights on a wet track is not the main reason which forced the Race Direction to cancel qualifying, “The circuit has no water drainage, because we don't expect rain in Qatar. We discovered this during the official Moto2 and Moto3 test. Measures will be taken for next season, but today it is like this. We will have to resolve this problem by next year. Also, we want to give drivers the opportunity to test in these conditions, especially during the last day of testing. »
The warm-up sessions will be extended this Sunday to allow the drivers to make up some of the time lost on Saturday. Regarding scheduling qualifying on Saturday, Capirossi added, “We have ruled out this possibility, because we have to work to offer the best conditions for the afternoon. There are big puddles on the runoffs of turn eight. Without drainage, water rises. We tried using a pump, but the water came back a few minutes later. »
This Sunday morning, the rain initially forecast did not disrupt the circuit organizers. In the event that rain disrupts the races, Capirossi has not ruled out scheduling the races on Monday: “If conditions allow and the drivers are unanimous, then the races will take place normally. In case of heavy rain, we can find other solutions. If we had to cancel, which we don't hope for, we might be able to schedule the races on Monday like in 2009." (See his full remarks)
“I think management made the best decision; the track was not in good condition,” explained Loris Baz Saturday night. The drivers obviously agree with this decision to cancel qualifying despite the time lost to prepare for their race.
First pole for Viñales
The situation benefits Maverick Vinales who will start from pole position for his first Grand Prix in Yamaha colors; it is also the first time that a rider has won a pole in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. Although happy with the cancellation of qualifying, Viñales is disappointed not to have had time to prepare for his race, “The objective was to prepare for the race in FP4 with several parameters such as full fuel, electronics, worn tires. We will try to ride the bike in race configuration on Sunday. For me, safety comes first and the conditions were difficult today. »
In the race, the Spaniard expects a close fight, “I think we will be in a group for the first ten laps as usual here,” confided Viñales. “Many will be at the forefront with us and we will try to do our best. Dovizioso is close and I know he will be there. Valentino is 10th, but he can be there; he always has excellent races. The first rounds also promise to be difficult against Márquez and Iannone. If we are in a group, it will be important not to take unnecessary risks while trying to maintain the best possible pace. »
He will have to measure himself against Marc Marquez who will also seek to win from third place on the grid. The World Champion first aims for the podium: “Starting from the front row is a good result, we will try to fight for the podium. The warm up will be very important. But we have already covered 300 laps on this track, including those done during the test. A podium would therefore be a great reward. »
Márquez nevertheless anticipates grip problems for the race: “I hope the track will be dry tomorrow and I also hope the weather will remain stable. We have 30 minutes of warm up. We will try to find the feeling again. »
Johann zarco will occupy fourth place on the grid after having well anticipated what happened on Saturday: “We knew the weekend weather could have complicated things. So I discussed with my team how to be as fast as possible during testing,” declared the double Moto2 World Champion.
“I'm glad this strategy worked, but I was lucky yesterday. I recorded my best time following Maverick, but I also learned a lot. Tomorrow we will start from the first place of the second row; the perfect opportunity to kick off the season in a positive way. My goal is to finish the race in a decent place. I would like to make a good start from fourth place and stay with the leaders like Maverick or Márquez to gain experience by competing against them. If I stay close to the front for at least half the race, then I can achieve a good result. » (See the exclusive interview with Hervé Poncharal)
Valentino Rossi will be positioned on the fourth line in 10th position. The Italian intends to take advantage of the warm-up to progress against his rivals: “The first problem is being tenth. The situation is unlucky, because I think that in the wet or the dry, I could have progressed. On the other hand, I never had an excellent pace both in the test and during the practice sessions. The warm up will be really important. If I am able to find a good set-up and improve my pace, I can try to have a good race. »
The start of the first race of the 2017 MotoGP season will be at 20 p.m. (Paris time)
