Preview: MotoGP Heads to Qatar Off the Heels of the WEC Opener at the Circuit
Following a season opener for WEC that saw drama and history across the board, the 2024 MotoGP season will be keeping the track warm for the second straight weekend as the series heads to Qatar.
Just a few short weeks ago, MotoGP held a pre-season test at the circuit to prepare for the upcoming campaign and race, featuring some intriguing stories to keep an eye on for the year.
But, with riders now getting into race preparation, the outlook of this opening race may be different than what we saw at the end of February.
Championship Constructor?
Coming off their second straight championship season, Ducati is arguably the constructor to beat again for the season, and with the addition of six-time world champion Marc Marquez to the fold, the team may have one of the strongest lineups they have had to date.
Coming out of testing, Aprilia and Honda should have strong runs throughout the season, and given their multiple teams that both constructors will be running, don’t be surprised to see Aprilia and Honda running towards the podium in 2024.
The big questions will come from KTM and Yamaha.
Yamaha looks to have more upside coming into the season compared to the KTM teams, even with the constructor having the smallest involvement in MotoGP. However, Yamaha may be outnumbered compared to the top three constructors.
It is so hard to deny the success of Ducati, though.
From their lineup to their performance on track, their three-team stable will be a task to handle for the others.
Welcome to the house.
For American viewers, there will be some new blood to root for this season, and it is by way of Trackhouse.
The well-known NASCAR entity Trackhouse has already made some noise in their early beginnings in MotoGP, toping time charts in the most recent test at points.
Being tied with Aprilia, the team should find some bright success this season and the potential for even a race win, but it will be a fight.
Having Miguel Oliveira will be a helpful addition to the program, bolstering his five career victories in the top series. However, it will be interesting to see what contributions Raul Fernandez will make to the program and if he can secure his first career win.
Final Thoughts
In what is shaping up to be a very busy weekend of track action across the world, the MotoGP opener should be one of the highlights of the busy calendar week.
It will be intriguing to see some of the new rider-team combos this weekend, and with some big names on new turf, some instant success will be looked for.
No question, Ducati is the favorite heading into the season. But, with teams getting their footing going to kick off the year, there is no telling what could happen this weekend.