The novelty factor is no longer an issue here, with the riders well aware of how much they are going to suffer in temperatures around 40ºC and with a track certain to be covered in a film of sand from the surrounding desert despite the best intentions of the circuit designers, who laid artificial grass lawns around the outside of the track to try and reduce the problem.

The fourteenth round of the season represents a light at the end of the tunnel for the Telefónica Movistar team after two difficult weekends in Japan and Malaysia. Sete Gibernau, who has not picked up a single point from the last three races, returns to the scene of his most recent victory whilst Marco Melandri has been boosted by the fifth place finish he managed at Sepang despite almost missing the event completely due to the injuries he sustained in the previous round at Motegi. Both MotoGP riders tested at the Losail circuit in the winter so they have good base settings to work from ahead of the race. Dani Pedrosa and Hiroshi Aoyama, meanwhile, got all the references they need from the circuit when they both charged to the podium here in the 250cc race last year.

Dani, who celebrates his 20^th birthday on Thursday, is convinced that a couple of days’ extra rest is all that he needed to fully recover from a left shoulder problem. The Spaniard, who crashed and saw Casey Stoner take victory at Sepang, has also seen his advantage at the top of the championship reduced to 38 points. However, he has travelled to Doha determined to get back to the safe riding style he has always shown at full fitness as he aims to give himself the best birthday present possible.

Marco Melandri has continued with the rehabilitation of his right foot this week. It is crucially important that the wound heals properly before free practice begins on Thursday because the high temperatures only make the sensitive area around the cut even more painful.

RIDER QUOTES

Sete Gibernau:
“I took victory at Qatar last season and we haven’t won since, so to go back to this circuit is a big incentive for us. I’d prefer to forget about Malaysia as soon as possible because my crash on the second lap ruined things for us on Sunday, after putting everything in its place in the warm-up and setting a rhythm that we hadn’t managed in practice. It’s the last race of the trip and we’re all a little tired but hopeful that one last push will be rewarded with a good result.”

Marco Melandri:
“I’m looking forward to Qatar. I had a really tough time during the race in Malaysia because the wound was still very sensitive to the heat, but it is healing well and I hope that these four days off can allow me to get back to 100% fitness on the bike. We tested at Qatar in the winter and the data we gathered will help us to set the bike up. We set a good pace here during the test and we were able to complete a full race simulation which I hope will be really useful this weekend.”

 Dani Pedrosa:
“We’ve had two really tough weeks. In Japan I wasn’t physically fit but we managed to have a good race, whilst in Malaysia I still couldn’t ride the bike 100% and the crash on the second lap left us without any points for the first time this season. The two days rest in Malaysia were good for my shoulder and hopefully this short break before practice on Thursday in Qatar will help me forget about it altogether and get back to riding to the best of my ability. Let’s see if we can get up there from the start and have a good weekend. Last year I had a bad time with the heat and, as far as the bike is concerned, the front tyre really suffers.”

Hiroshi Aoyama:
“Qatar is really tough because I am not used to racing in such heat; last year was the first time and we suffered, but at least we know what to expect now. It’s important to get used to the heat as soon as you arrive and drink lots of water during the day to stay hydrated. We had a good race last year and I finished third so I hope to be at a good level once again and try to improve that result.”

THE VENUE

GP DE QATAR
Circuit: Losail International Circuit
Grand Prix: Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar
Inauguration: 2004
Latest modification: 2004
Length: 5,400m
Width: 12m
Right corners: 10
Left corners: 6
Main straight: 1,068m

MOVISTAR RIDER RESULTS AT LOSAIL 

THE CIRCUIT ACCORDING TO:

SETE GIBERNAU:
Wide open space
The Qatar circuit was a pleasant surprise for me last season. It is the only circuit on the World Championship calendar that has three consecutive right-hand bends. I’ve got good memories because I won the race and really enjoyed it. As far as the layout is concerned it is a lot of fun, although the worst thing is the amount of dust and dirt that blows onto the track from the surrounding desert. That’s more of a problem than the heat.

MARCO MELANDRI:
Dirty
The track layout is good but the conditions are a real problem. It’s very dirty and you can’t afford to run off line. The best part is from turn 12 to turn 16, which is a really fast section. It’s a bit difficult to overtake because of what I mentioned before about not running off line, and it is quite strange to race there because it’s in the middle of the desert.

DANI PEDROSA:
Suffocating
Never in my life have I felt so suffocated at a circuit. The sensation of heat is very strong and you have to get used to it as soon as you arrive in the country. You suffer with it in the race and also, with it being in the middle of the desert, there’s a lot of dust on the track. It is quite long but there’s nothing out of this world regarding the layout.

HIROSHI AOYAMA:
Asphyxiating
Worse than Sepang. The heat is suffocating – it’s really tough to go through a full race in these conditions and, also, the track is very dirty. It’s hard for both the rider and the motorcycle. It’s also a bit strange to be racing surrounded by the desert and with the grandstands virtually empty." 

THE 2005 SEASON SO FAR FOR THE MOVISTAR RIDERS

LAP RECORDS:

MOTOGP
Circuit record: 1’59”293 Colin Edwards (2004)
Pole 2004: 1’58”988 Carlos Checa (Yamaha)
Podium 2004:1. Sete Gibernau (Honda), 2. Colin Edwards (Honda), 3. Rubén Xaus (Ducati)

250cc.
Circuit record: 2’03”015 Alex De Angelis (2004)
Pole 2004: 2’02”710 Sebastián Porto (Aprilia)
Podium 2004: 1. Sebastián Porto (Aprilia), 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 3. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda)

125cc.
Circuit record: 2’09”569 Jorge Lorenzo (2004)
Pole 2004: 2’09”644 Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi)
Podium 2004: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi), 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), 3. Álvaro Bautista (Aprilia)

SATURDAY TIMETABLE
(CET +1)
12.00h. 125cc race (19 laps, 105.412km)
13.15h. 250cc race (20 laps, 110.96km)
15.00h. MotoGP race (21 laps, 116.508km)