The first race of the season delivered a thrilling, multi-rider fight at the front, with Maverick Vinales eventually emerging on top to take the victory for Yamaha.
The Spaniard's result took many by surprise, especially after Ducati riders took control at the start of the race. Armed with the most powerful engine in the field, the two factory team bikes and the two Pramac machines held an early 1-2-3-4 in Qatar, suggesting the Italian brand's winning streak in Qatar would extend to a third season.
But tyre degradation came into play as the race progressed, shaking the order at the front of the field.
That meant Francesco Bagnaia, freshly promoted to the factory Ducati team, was unable to put up much of a fight against Vinales, ceding the lead on lap 11.
He eventually finished third behind Pramac rider Johann Zarco, the two using the sheer grunt of their Ducati engines to repass the Suzuki of Joan Mir on the run to the flag.
Another Ducati vs Yamaha vs Suzuki contest is very much on the cards this weekend, with the Doha GP running to the same layout as the Qatar Grand Prix.
Crucially, Honda's star rider Marc Marquez will remain absent as he continues to recover from the injuries he sustained in the first of the two Jerez races last year. The Spaniard will again be replaced by Honda test rider Stefan Bradl.
Why is MotoGP holding two races in Qatar?
With several countries restricting the entry of foreign nationals amid the coronavirus pandemic, MotoGP has been forced to run a heavily-revised calendar in 2021. One way of ensuring the season runs to a sufficient number of races is by holding double headers, a practice implemented by both MotoGP and Formula 1 in 2020.
This year the Losail International Circuit is hosting back-to-back races to kick off the championship, with the second round to be run under the Doha Grand Prix banner this weekend. The circuit is located a short trip north of Doha, the capital of Qatar.
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings
| Session | Local time | GMT | BST | CEST | ET | PT | AEDT/ AEST | JST | IST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP1 | 15:40 | 12:40 | 13:40 | 14:40 | 8:40 | 5:40 | 23:40 | 21:40 | 18:10 |
| FP2 | 20:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 | 4:00 | 2:00 | 22:30 |
| FP3 | 15:15 | 12:15 | 13:15 | 14:15 | 8:15 | 5:15 | 23:15 | 21:15 | 17:45 |
| FP4 | 19:20 | 16:20 | 17:20 | 18:20 | 12:20 | 9:20 | 2:20 | 1:20 | 21:50 |
| Qualifying | 20:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 | 3:00 | 2:00 | 22:30 |
| Warm up | 15:40 | 12:40 | 13:40 | 14:40 | 8:40 | 5:40 | 22:40 | 21:40 | 18:10 |
| Race | 20:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 | 3:00 | 2:00 | 22:30 |
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in Qatar
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 15:40 - 16:25 local time
- Free Practice 2: 20:00 - 20:45 local time
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 3: 15:15 - 16:00 local time
- Free practice 4: 19:20 - 19:50
- Qualifying: 20:00 - 20:40 local time
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Warm-up: 15:40 - 16:00
- Race: 20:00 local time
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in the UK
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 13:40 - 14:25 BST
- Free Practice 2: 18:00 - 18:45 BST
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 3: 13:15 - 14:00 BST
- Free Practice 4: 17:20 - 17:50 BST
- Qualifying: 18:00 - 18:40 BST
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Warm up: 13:40 - 14:00 BST
- Race: 18:00 BST
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in Europe
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 14:40 - 15:25 CEST
- Free Practice 2: 19:00 - 19:45 CEST
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 3: 14:15 - 15:00 CEST
- Free Practice 4: 18:20 - 18:50 CEST
- Qualifying: 19:00 - 19:40 CEST
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Warm up: 14:40 - 15:00 CEST
- Race: 19:00 CEST
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in the US
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 8:40 - 9:25 ET / 5:40 - 6:25 PT
- Free Practice 2: 13:00 - 13:45 ET / 10:00 - 10:45 PT
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 3: 8:15 - 9:00 ET / 5:15 - 6:00 PT
- Free Practice 4: 12:20 - 12:50 ET / 9:20 - 9:50 PT
- Qualifying: 13:00 - 13:40 ET / 10:00 - 10:40 PT
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Warm-up: 8:40 - 9:00 ET / 5:40 - 6:00 PT
- Race: 13:00 ET / 10:00 PT
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in Australia
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 23:40 - 0:25 AEDT
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 2: 4:00 - 4:45 AEDT
- Free Practice 3: 23:15 - 00:00 AEDT
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Free Practice 4 - 2:20 - 2:50 AEST
- Qualifying: 3:00 - 3:40 AEST
- Warm-up: 21:40 - 22:00 AEST
Monday 5th April 2021
- Race: 3:00 AEST
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in Japan
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 21:40 - 22:25 JST
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 2: 02:00 - 2:45 JST
- Free Practice 3: 21:15 - 22:00 JST
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Free Practice 4: 1:20 - 1:50 JST
- Qualifying: 2:00 - 2:40 JST
- Warm-up: 21:40 - 22:00 JST
Monday 5th April 2021
- Race: 2:00 JST
2021 MotoGP Doha Grand Prix session timings in India
Friday 2nd April 2021
- Free Practice 1: 18:10 - 18:55 IST
- Free Practice 2: 22:30 - 23:15 IST
Saturday 3rd April 2021
- Free Practice 3: 17:45 - 18:30 IST
- Free Practice 4: 21:50 - 22:20 IST
- Qualifying: 22:30 - 23:10 IST
Sunday 4th April 2021
- Warm-up: 18:10 - 18:30 IST
- Race: 22:30 IST
Can’t find your country or region in the list? Check the MotoGP schedule page for the broadcast times in your local timezone.
Can I stream the Doha MotoGP?
MotoGP has its own on-demand streaming service, offering live broadcast of practice, qualifying and the race, as well as highlights. The MotoGP Video pass is available for an annual fee of 139.99 euros. Users also can subscribe to the service on a monthly basis for 29.99 euros. Several local broadcasters also stream MotoGP races on their official websites.
