With the first days free practice out of the way some people are no doubt scratching their heads to work out why there are no factory bikes in the top 5 of the timesheet, lack of grip and injuries topping the list of reasons. Today will shed more light on things as the factory teams get used to the track again and will be hoping that laying some rubber down will help with the grip levels through the weekend.
That brings us to the weather, and how it could have a hand in the outcome, as a strengthening breeze over the weekend may reduce grip levels as sand blows onto the circuit. We're not talking gale force winds, but with gusts of 25-30mph developing tomorrow afternoon and only gradually easing into Sunday evening, it could play into the hands of the open teamsas we saw yesterday. Apart from the wind, the rest of the event looks set fair with plenty of sunshine during the day, patchy overnight cloud and temperatures holding up at around 24-25c for the MotoGP race. Looking at the track temperature stats from yesterday, the tarmac is at roughly the same temperature as the air, which is on the borderline to fully 'turn on' the optimum grip and wear levels of the race tyres on a circuit that already offers low grip levels compared to other venues, add in the risk of an everchanging light coat of fresh sand and we could see a very different podium compared to last year.
You can find the latest forecast details for the
Losail International Circuit here
