After an eventful round in the Americas in Austin, Texas, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team is now heading to the desert of Doha for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, round number 4 of 2025, and the final stop overseas before the championship begins touring in Europe. Both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales will be looking forward to the special atmosphere at night of the Lusail International Circuit, coming both from a positive weekend in COTA with big steps made on their respective KTM RC16.
Grand Prix of Qatar
The Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad is getting ready for a new challenge in the desert at night, with both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales arriving in Doha in good form and with a positive mindset. Indeed, the learning of the KTM continues for these two, after important steps were made at the previous round in the USA. Bastianini’s weekend was crescendo, until Sunday’s main event where we saw the Italian make another incredible comeback from P17 on the grid to 7th at the checkered flag, and score his best result of the season so far. Already a MotoGP™ race winner in Doha, Bestia will be looking forward to heading to one of his favorite tracks and see how he can perform on the RC16. Viñales’ progress was also noticeable in Texas, after Top Gun reached Q2 for the first time of 2025. The end results were not the ones expected, but Maverick was competitive all weekend, and had the potential for a top 5 looking at his race pace, if Sunday in Austin had been of a different kind. The number 12 has already won twice in Qatar (2017, 2021), so the Lusail International track is for sure a layout the Spaniard has often been very strong on. Let's find out if the improvements made last weekend will allow him to be competitive this week.
The Grand Prix of Qatar is always a special one with the main class racing at night in the desert, and this year is set to be full of surprises and challenges again, with cards having been fully re-distributed in the championship after Marc Marquez’ crash in Austin. MotoGP™’s action will begin on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 15:45 local time (UTC+3), before Practice begins at night at 20:00. Can Viñales qualify once again to Q2? Saturday will start with Free Practice 2 at 15:00, and the qualifying sessions will follow, from 15:40. The day will end with the Tissot Sprint at night, starting at 20:00 LT for 11 laps. The fun will continue on Sunday, with the main event scheduled at 20:00 (UTC+3) for 22 laps, after a short warm up session at 15:40! Qatar, we’re coming!
ENEA BASTIANINI: "We did a good step forward in Austin, I felt good in the race and we got a great result from 17th on the grid to 7th, and I think that we can do another step this week in Qatar. Lusail is one of my favorite tracks, where we had great moments in the past, so I am really curious to go there and see how we will perform with the KTM."
MAVERICK VIÑALES: "We are heading to Qatar with a good feeling after the improvements made last week in Austin. For sure the outcome was not the one we wanted, but I felt fast and competitive all weekend for the first time this season, and all I want to do is go to Qatar and continue working in that direction. Doha is a track that I like a lot, where I have had good results in the past, so let's try to be competitive straight from Friday, and see how it goes for the weekend. It is always special to race at night, so I am excited!"
NIOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "We are now heading to Qatar for the last flyaway round before we start touring in Europe. The Lusail International Circuit, located in the middle of the desert, always feels special, especially when we race at night. It is a track that usually suits our bike, and last season, there was a KTM on both sprint’s and race’s podiums. Both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales are arriving from Austin with an improved feeling on the bike. Maverick qualified directly in Q2 for the first time of the season, and I am sure that without the grid issues, he would have ended close to the top 5. Enea scored his best KTM result, and has most importantly felt better and more in control on the KTM. In addition, both of them had some important aerodynamics tests last week, which will for sure help them find extra speed. All in one, I am confident that they will both arrive in Doha with a lot of motivation, and we can’t wait to get back on track with them."
ABOUT THE TRACK
The fabulous Lusail International Circuit lies on the outskirts of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Built in little over a year, the track cost $58 million USD and required round-the-clock dedication from almost 1,000 workers in order to get it ready for the inaugural event - the Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar on the 2nd October 2004.
The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The main straight is over a kilometre in length and there is a good mix of medium and high-speed corners, including a couple of quick left-handers which has proved particularly popular with the riders.
In 2008 Qatar celebrated the first night time Grand Prix in history, following the construction of permanent outdoor lighting. The switch to night time racing was a success and has continued to be so, with the Qatar event established as one of the most spectacular on the MotoGP™ calendar.
In 2022, the Lusail International Circuit went through an extensive renovation and remodelling to the paddock area and circuit facilities in order to welcome back Formula 1™ in Qatar for the 2023 season. For that reason, Qatar did not host the opening round of the 2023 MotoGP™ season for the first time since its first even Grand Prix back in 2008, with the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar exceptionally taking place in November 2023, just one month after the Formula 1™ made its return to the brand new facilities. Things returned to normal in 2024 with the season kicking off again in Doha, before some calendar changes were made once again in 2025 as Thailand hosted the season opener. Nevertheless, Qatar has always been host to incredible racing with the race at night under the spotlights always providing riders and fans with a special atmosphere that can only be found in Doha.
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'50.789 - 174.8 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - P. Acosta (SPA) - 1'52.657 - 171.9 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'50.789 - 174.8 km/h
Top Speed: 2021 - J. Zarco (FRA) - 362.4 km/h
