Qatar GP: All the best stats ahead of the 2024 MotoGP™ season opener
13 World Champions, most successful riders and what could happen ahead of the opening race of the 75th World Championship campaign
The 75th MotoGP™ World Championship campaign is set for lift off at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend, where Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) begins his title defence in the desert. We will also witness Marc Marquez' (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) Ducati debut, and a first MotoGP™ race for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Ahead of the 2024 curtain raiser at Lusail International Circuit, why not delve into some of the best stats available?
Welcome to Qatar!
This will be the 22nd Grand Prix at Lusail since it joined the calendar in 2004, and the 18th under floodlights. From 2007 to 2022, the Qatar GP was also the season opener. Last year it then moved to later in the year as the circuit underwent some renovation, but now it’s back as the opening showdown of the season for MotoGP™ to enjoy its stunning new paddock and whole new set of facilities.
Qatar is one of eight Asian countries to host a Grand Prix (solo classes) along with Indonesia, Turkey, Japan, Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India. It’s also one of the 13 circuits that have been used for GP racing in Asia so far: Motegi (69 races), Sepang (68), Lusail (62), Suzuka (56), Shah Alam (21), Shanghai (12), Buriram (12), Istanbul Park (9), Fisco/Fuji (8), Sentul (6), Mandalika (6), Johor (3), and Buddh (3).
Most successful riders at Lusail:
Jorge Lorenzo 6 (3 x MotoGP™, 2 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc) - Casey Stoner 5 (4 x MotoGP™, 1 x 250cc) – Valentino Rossi 4 (4 x MotoGP™) – Maverick Viñales 3 (2 x MotoGP™, 1 x Moto3™) – Andrea Dovizioso 2 (2 x MotoGP™) – Marc Marquez 2 (1 x MotoGP™, 1 x Moto2™) – Sam Lowes 2 (2 x Moto2™) – Nico Terol 2 (2 x 125cc) – Jaume Masia 2 (2 x Moto3™)
Races at Lusail (62): 20 MotoGP™, 15 Moto2™, 6 250cc, 13 Moto3™, 8 125cc
Factories at Lusail: best results
Most wins: Yamaha 10 – Ducati 7 – Honda 3
Yamaha: Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer at Lusail with 10 MotoGP™ wins, with four riders: Valentino Rossi (2005, 2006, 2010, 2015), Jorge Lorenzo (2012, 2013, 2016), Maverick Viñales (2017, 2021/1) and Fabio Quartararo (2021/2).
Ducati: Ducati have had seven MotoGP™ wins in Qatar with four riders, Casey Stoner (2007, 2008, 2009), Andrea Dovizioso (2018, 2019), Enea Bastianini (2022) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (2023).
Honda: Honda have had three MotoGP™ wins in Qatar with three riders: Sete Gibernau (2004), Casey Stoner (2011) and Marc Marquez (2014).
Aprilia: Aprilia’s best MotoGP™ result in Qatar is P4 with Aleix Espargaro (2022) and Maverick Viñales (2023).
KTM: KTM made their full-time debut in MotoGP™ here in 2017. Brad Binder finished second in 2022, which is the best result for the Austrian manufacturer at this track in the class so far.
10 riders on the grid have MotoGP™ podiums here: M. Marquez (5), Francesco Bagnaia (2), Viñales (2), Johann Zarco (2), Bastianini (1), Quartararo (1), Jorge Martin (1), Binder (1), Luca Marini (1), Di Giannantonio (1).
6 have taken pole: Viñales (2), Martin (2), M. Marquez (1), Zarco (1), Bagnaia (1), Marini (1).
What happens if…
868 – If Marc Marquez wins the Grand Prix race, it will be 868 days since his last GP win at the 2021 Emilia-Romagna GP. As a comparison, there were 581 days between Valencia 2019, his last win prior to his arm injury sustained in Jerez in 2020, and his next win at the 2021 German GP.
61 – If at least one Ducati qualifies in the top three, it will be the 61st successive race that a Ducati rider starts on the front row, stretching back to Valencia 2020.
47 – Ducati is on a streak of 46 consecutive GP races with at least one rider on the podium. If they take a podium this weekend, they will extend their record to 47.
19 – He’ll be 19 years and 290 days old on Sunday, so if Pedro Acosta wins the Qatar GP, he’ll become the youngest rider to win in the premier class, taking the record from Marc Marquez (20 years and 63 days old in Austin in 2013). If he finishes on the podium, he becomes the third-youngest rider to do so behind Randy Mamola (19 years and 261 days old - Finland 1979) and Eduardo Salatino (19 years and 274 days old - Argentina 1962).
6 – Six riders on the grid could take their maiden MotoGP™ win this weekend: Alex Marquez, Raul Fernandez, Luca Marini, Takaaki Nakagami, Augusto Fernandez and rookie Pedro Acosta.
6 – Since 2019, there have been five different MotoGP™ winners at Lusail: Andrea Dovizioso (2019), Fabio Quartararo (2021/1), Maverick Viñales (2021/2), Enea Bastianini (2022) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (2023). Another one would make it six in the last six races here.
3 – If Jack Miller, Maverick Viñales or Alex Rins win the GP race, they will become the first rider to win on a bike from three different manufacturers since the start of the MotoGP™ era in 2002.
3 – If Marc or Alex Marquez win the Grand Prix race, it will be the third win in a row for Gresini Racing MotoGP™ in Qatar after success for Enea Bastianini in 2022 and Fabio Di Giannantonio in 2023.
1 – Aprilia and KTM riders could give their factory a maiden premier class win at Lusail.
MotoGP™ Facts and Stats
777 points are up for grabs this season: 525 on Sunday and 252 on Saturday. That means it’s 32.4% (almost 1/3) of points up for grabs in Tissot Sprints.
The MotoGP™ race in Qatar has been won five times by a rider who has not qualified on the front row: Valentino Rossi (2006, 2015), Casey Stoner (2008), Andrea Dovizioso (2018) and Fabio Quartararo (2021/2).
The top 15 in the MotoGP™ race at the 2021 Doha GP is the closest ever in the premier class. There were 8.928 seconds between Fabio Quartararo and Miguel Oliveira.