The Qatar Grand Prix is one of the most emblematic circuits in the championship after its arrival in 2004, and one of the reasons that has ensured its permanence on the MotoGP agenda is its status as the inaugural race. On a regular basis, the Losail International Circuit is in charge of raising the curtain on the MotoGP seasons, which is why many fans associate this race with the return of adrenaline and emotion on the track after the winter break.
Another noteworthy feature in the personality of this circuit is its nocturnal character. The Qatar Grand Prix takes place under the light of the floodlights, because the asphalt does not have light after certain hours. This nocturnal condition adds a plus in the excitement, arousing the curiosity of new fans and making the colors of the prototypes shine in an unparalleled way.
This grand prix has been part of the world championship agenda since 2004, being an immovable race on the calendar since 2007. Its permanence over time has given it one of the most interesting peculiarities of this circuit: the pace left by Formula 1 in Qatar affects drastically at the arrival of the MotoGP World Championship. Qatari asphalt cannot boast of having undergone much reform, which is why both championships have coexisted on the same circuit for years.
Such is its impact on the calendar that, due to the pandemic, Dorna was forced to restructure its calendar and Qatar was one of the circuits that hosted two events in the same season. Baptized as the Doha Grand Prix and the Qatar Grand Prix , the MotoGP World Championship surprised with two different winners.
Riders who have shone at the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix in the last 10 years
| 2021 |  Maverick Viñales |
Yamaha |
| 2021 |  Fabio Quartararo |
Yamaha |
| 2019 |  Andrea Dovizioso |
Ducati |
| 2018 | Andrea Dovizioso |
Ducati |
| 2017 | Maverick Viñales |
Yamaha |
| 2016 | Jorge Lorenzo |
Yamaha |
| 2015 | Valentino Rossi |
Yamaha |
| 2014 | Marc Márquez |
Sling |
| 2013 | Jorge Lorenzo |
Yamaha |
| 2012 | Jorge Lorenzo |
Yamaha |
In the first race of 2021, Maverick Viñales prevailed over Johann Zarco in a duel that stole the attention of the fans -from a distance, since he did not receive a large audience due to the conditions imposed by the pandemic-. Shortly after, however, it was Fabio Quartararo who made it to the top of the Qatar leaderboard. The Yamaha rider dominated a race pursued by his compatriot, again, the Frenchman Johann Zarco.
Unfortunately, in 2020, the absence of MotoGP riders forced the championship entities to suppress the event, holding only the intermediate and junior category races of the championship.
In this way, the reference in Qatar belonged to Andrea Dovizioso, who in 2019 rose to the top of the drawer with a second Marc Márquez, who came from fighting for victory on this track for two consecutive years.
In 2017 it was the Yamaha of Maverick Viñales who prevailed over Andrea Dovizioso on the Losail track. As we can see, the Italian rider is especially strong in this treaty, but his battle against Yamaha for the lead goes back years.
In 2016, Andrea Dovizioso was second on a podium led by Jorge Lorenzo, and in 2015, the Italian climbed back to second on the podium behind Valentino Rossi. The previous year it was Marc Márquez who managed to get ahead of Rossi’s Yamaha, this being the second on the podium in 2013, with Jorge Lorenzo as the leader. The Spanish rider was also crowned the winner in 2012, ahead of Dani Pedrosa.
