The Losail International Circuit in Qatar plays host to the opening round of the MotoGP World Championship for the tenth successive year this weekend and, as has been custom since 2008, the races will take place at night under floodlights.
The teams and riders completed their preseason programmes at this very circuit just over a week ago but finally the long winter is over and the promise of a new season is about to be fulfilled.
Major technical rule changes to the series look to have brought parity to the grid during testing, with a new maximum fuel capacity of 22 litres, the introduction of standard electronics and a new single tyre manufacturer in Michelin.
Some of the riders and their machines have adapted better than others, with defending World Champion Jorge Lorenzo looking like the man to beat when the new season launches at 9pm on Sunday night.
The winter has seemed never-ending but finally the first race is in sight and ASPAR Team rider Eugene Laverty can’t wait to get the 2016 season started.
Eugene is also for points under the Losail lights, the Irishman now recovered from a series of injuries suffered throughout a tumultuous preseason that also ended with a positive test last week. Now he is ready to give his all on what is a new bike to him but one he feels has huge potential.
Eugene Laverty:
“I’m very excited to begin racing once again. Pre-season testing is a really important time of the year but racing is my real passion. I’ve endured a tough winter but when the lights go out on Sunday it will all be worth it. We made progress during the test in Qatar and I’m happy that we are returning to the same circuit again to continue our forward momentum. The Aspar team is working hard with me to get back to 100% and soon we’ll be able to display our full potential on the Ducati. We’re aiming for a points scoring finish on Sunday to start our season on a positive note and we’ll keep building from there.”
Source: Aspar Media