RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP ready for battle in the desert of Qatar

This weekend marks the fourth Grand Prix of the 2025 season, taking place at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. The Middle Eastern circuit is usually the setting for the season opener but appears on the calendar a month later this year. In the past race weekends, Zonta van den Goorbergh and Ayumu Sasaki have shown clear progress, and RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP aims to build on that momentum this weekend.

The 5.38-kilometer-long Lusail International Circuit has become a regular fixture on the MotoGP calendar, and thanks to the racing under floodlights, it remains one of the most popular destinations. After a straight of more than one kilometre, the circuit features ten right-handers and six left-handers, offering a varied challenge for both riders and machines.

Two weeks ago in the United States, Zonta van den Goorbergh showed he certainly has the speed, securing fourth on the grid. A year ago, the Dutch rider was consistently found within the top ten at the Lusail International Circuit, which suggests all the ingredients are there for a strong result.

Ayumu Sasaki has shown consistent improvement over the first three Grand Prix weekends and will be looking to continue that upward trend in Qatar. With stable weather conditions expected, the Japanese rider will be able to make optimal use of the available track time at Lusail.

Zonta van den Goorbergh:
“We’re heading to Qatar for the fourth Grand Prix of the year already. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t take the maximum from the race in Austin, but with points on the board we’re heading into the next race weekend with a positive mindset. The speed is definitely there, so we have to show that again in Qatar, even though the conditions will be quite different.”

Ayumu Sasaki:
“I’m very excited to go to Qatar. We didn’t end the weekend in Austin in the best way, so I’m looking forward to start a new weekend. I trained hard during the last couple of days to be stronger, and I’m feeling positive and very motivated. Let’s make sure we have a good weekend.”

Jarno Janssen – RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP team manager:
“This weekend we’re racing in Qatar, and that’s always a special place to go. Normally, it’s the first race of the season, so that’s something different this year. Even so, after three race weekends that were very far from home, this feels somewhat like familiar territory again. We have good memories of the circuit, especially last year when Zonta was very strong and Barry finished on the podium. It will be quite hot during the day with temperatures around 40°C, but once the sun sets it cools down quickly – and that’s when our race takes place. We’re on the right path, so let’s hope for another strong weekend.”

The race weekend at the Lusail International Circuit begins with the first free practice session on Friday afternoon, followed by the official practice session in the evening. This session determines which fourteen riders advance directly to Q2. After a second free practice on Saturday afternoon, qualifying will begin in the evening at 18:45 local time (17:45 Central European time). The 18-lap race will start on Sunday evening at 18:15 p.m. local time (17:15 CET).