AROUND this time last year, motor racing fans were looking forward to the start of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship. Just a few days before the start of the first race of last season, COVID-19 pandemic exploded around the world and put a halt to the international sports calendar.
One of the affected events was the first round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship that was to be held at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit (LIC). Fast forward to last night, the same iconic venue switched on its floodlights and successfully opened the 2021 MotoGP World Championship with routine fanfare.
Last night’s races in the Moto3, Moto3 and the MotoGP classes were a welcome relief for the bike fans in the country and in the region. Qatar is the only regional destination that DORNA - organsiers of MotoGP - conducts its event at LIC every year in March. The LIC has been hosting the MotoGP round since September 2004 when the venue was built in a record time of 9 months. Since then, only 2020 was one occasion when the race got cancelled because of the COVID-19 situation. To make up for last year’s miss, Qatar - a proud member of DORNA family - have been sanctioned to host two rounds of the 2021 season.
DORNA CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta on Saturday handed over a special trophy to QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannai and Losail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) General Manager and Vice President Khalid Al Remaihi for putting together a fantastic show to open the season at LIC. Al Mannai said after receiving the award: “We are delighted to receive this award. We are proud members of the MotoGP family. Qatar has been a home for MotoGP for a long time. Every year it gets more exciting. We are proud of this award and we thank you.”
At the same venue, the same bunch of riders in the three classes will battle for top honours next week also in what would be the second round of the world’s biggest two-wheel competition. In the build-up to the main racing events, the LIC threw open its gates for the riders and their backroom staff for the pre-season testing also in all three classes around three weeks ago.
To facilitate a smooth conduct of testing and the races, the Qatari organisers even volunteered to give visiting riders and their technical staff COVID-19 vaccine if anyone wanted to sign up for it.
Well played, Qatar!
