Dorna to inspect Losail surface
Added on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Dorna to inspect Losail surface
Dorna has confirmed that a track inspection will take place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar before a decision is made on whether to reschedule the start time for this weekend’s MotoGP championship opener.
The championship promoter has not ruled out a rescheduling of Sunday’s 11pm local start time (9pm BST) for Sunday’s Grand Prix following complaints from riders in pre-season testing after a series of accidents at turn two.
Some riders have complained that moisture may be coming through the track surface at night and, due to races taking place under floodlights, the glare from the track makes this invisible to riders.
And Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has confirmed that Dorna would consider a rescheduling if necessary, with reports in Italy suggesting that the Grand Prix could be brought forward by two hours.
“I’ve heard from the riders, and we’ve decided to look at the situation once in Qatar,” the series organiser told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“These four weeks may have changed the weather situation at Losail and got rid of the problem. We’ll see whether it’s too damp at the scheduled time or if it’s possible to run safely.
“I’ve made a round of phone calls to hear from the TVs and there shouldn’t be too much of a problem in case of a reschedule,” said Ezpeleta.
Any rescheduling would be another setback to the concept of a night race in Qatar following last year’s late abandonment due to rain. Under FIM regulations, night races cannot take place under floodlights due to the glare caused by a wet track, causing last season’s MotoGP opener to be postponed for 24 hours after a rain shower hit Doha as the riders were preparing for their warm-up lap.
Critics have also pointed out that a night race offers few benefits to European fans or broadcasters, with Doha being just one hour ahead of Central European Time.
