MOTOGP » Qatar MotoGP race delayed by rain The Qatar MotoGP race has been delayed by heavy rain.

Qatar MotoGP race delayed by rain

The Qatar MotoGP race has been delayed by heavy rain.

A storm earlier in the evening halted the 125cc race after just four full laps, while the following 250cc race was reduced to 13 laps after a delayed start.

Rain returned when the MotoGP grid assembled and the start was subsequently 'delayed'. The rain then got even heavier and it now looks highly unlikely that the race will go ahead... in the next few hours anyway.

UPDATE: It is still raining heavily 20 minutes after the race should have started and the track is covered in surface water.

Racing at Qatar does not take place in the rain due to glare from the floodlights.

Qatar MotoGP cancelled, possible on Monday

The season-opening Qatar MotoGP night race has been cancelled due to rain, but may now be run on Monday!

A storm earlier in the evening halted the 125cc race after just four full laps, while the following 250cc race was reduced to 13 laps after a delayed start. Heavy rain then returned just before the 11pm start of the MotoGP race and has continued ever since.

Racing at Qatar does not take place in the rain due to glare from the floodlights.

It is not known if the possible Monday re-run, which would cause logistical chaos but is 'under consideration', will take place in the day or night.

Another option is to return in September when the Hungarian Grand Prix was due to be held.

A further meeting to decide what will happen is to be held at midnight.

More to follow...

MotoGP Qatar race to be run on Monday

Sunday, 12 April 2009

A rare rainstorm at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday evening saw the first MotoGP race of the year put back to Monday at 9pm local time.

After the season-opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar was interrupted by rain on Sunday evening the MotoGP race had to be postponed and will now be run on Monday evening at 9pm local time, with an additional warm-up session beforehand at 6.30pm.

After shortened 250cc and 125cc races earlier in the evening the heavy rainstorm in the Arabian desert at 11pm on Sunday evening made it unsafe for the MotoGP riders to go out onto the 5.380km floodlit circuit.

The schedule so far is:

Monday, 13 April 2009
MotoGP WUP2	18:30 - 18:50
MotoGP RAC	21:00