Lorenzo: Riders want earlier Qatar MotoGP start

Jorge Lorenzo says that MotoGP riders want the start time of the season-opening Qatar night race to be moved even earlier, for safety reasons.

The race was brought forward from 9pm to 7pm last season, to try and avoid the sharp drop in temperature and formation of dew that occurs late at night, while also providing more leeway in the case of any rain delays.

But the 2019 race is due to start at 8pm [updated] which Lorenzo thinks is too late, after being among a number of fallers on the final night of this week's Qatar pre-season test.

"I had a big crash at the end of the night because the temperature dropped a lot and there was a lot of humidity, a lot of [dew] and a lot of riders started crashing," said the new Repsol Honda rider, already nursing a wrist injury.

"So that's why we would like to speak quite seriously with [Dorna CEO] Carmelo Ezpeleta and the ones who decide the schedule of the race, because if we can put it earlier it would be much better for the safety of the riders.

"Hopefully we can modify this by half an hour, one hour… As much as possible because if we are unlucky and have a very humid night for the race, it will be dangerous."

The current MotoGP start time already means that the Moto3 race (4pm) is held in daylight, with the Moto2 race (5:20pm) during sunset.

The 2019 season-opener takes place at Losail on March 8-10.