Alkass English
Doha is preparing to welcome another major chapter in its motorsport history as Lusail International Circuit gears up to host the Qatar Airways Grand Prix, the 20th round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, from November 6 to 8.
The 2026 edition carries added significance as the championship enters its closing stages, with the battle for the world title intensifying. The event will also highlight the contribution of Qatar's growing pool of skilled professionals, whose expertise plays an important role in the country's motorsport success.
Following a revision to the championship calendar, Qatar will stage its 23rd appearance on the international MotoGP calendar since making its debut in 2004. This year's event will also mark the 20th occasion on which the races have been held under floodlights.
The Grand Prix will build on a legacy spanning more than two decades, bringing together speed, skill and strategy in one of the most distinctive settings on the MotoGP calendar. A grid of 22 riders, featuring established world champions and emerging talents, is expected to provide fans with a thrilling weekend of world-class racing.
Lusail International Circuit officially opened in 2004, hosting the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix and marking the country's arrival as a destination for international motorcycle racing.
A defining moment came in 2008, when Qatar introduced night racing to the MotoGP calendar, establishing the Grand Prix as one of the championship's most recognisable events.
Lusail remains the only circuit on the MotoGP calendar to stage all its races at night under floodlights. Its modern facilities, advanced track design and distinctive lighting system combine to deliver a unique sporting and visual spectacle for riders and spectators alike.
Following an extensive redevelopment, the circuit retained its renowned 5.380-kilometre (3.343-mile) layout while strengthening its position among the world's leading motorsport venues.
Qatar's introduction of night racing also brought important technological advances and helped reshape the sport's approach to hosting competitions after dark. The innovation required adjustments to international federation regulations to accommodate the demands of night-time racing.
This achievement underlines Qatar's pioneering contribution to international motorsport, supported by continued investment and the efforts of officials to provide the infrastructure and resources needed to sustain the country's sporting ambitions in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Qatar is now among Asia's leading Grand Prix hosts, with Lusail International Circuit standing alongside some of the continent's most established venues, including Motegi in Japan, Sepang in Malaysia and Buriram in Thailand.
The first Qatar Grand Prix was held in 2004, with Spain's Sete Gibernau taking the inaugural victory. Spanish star Marc Marquez won the most recent premier-class race at Lusail in 2025, returning to the top of the podium at the circuit for the first time since 2014.
Qatar is among eight Asian countries hosting Grand Prix events across the championship's classes, alongside Indonesia, Turkiye, Japan, Thailand, China, Malaysia and India.
Lusail International Circuit is also one of 13 venues to have hosted Grand Prix races in Asia. Over the past 22 years, the circuit has staged 68 races across different categories: 22 in MotoGP, 17 in Moto2, 15 in Moto3, eight in the 125cc class and six in the 250cc category.
Australian Casey Stoner and Italian Valentino Rossi share the record for the most Qatar Grand Prix victories, with four wins apiece. Spain's Jorge Lorenzo is next with three victories, while compatriots Maverick Vinales and Marc Marquez, together with Italy's Andrea Dovizioso, have each won twice.
Only four riders have managed to secure consecutive Qatar Grand Prix victories: Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo and Dovizioso.
Lorenzo holds the record for the most victories across all classes at Lusail, with six wins. His record includes three MotoGP victories in 2012, 2013 and 2016, two 250cc wins in 2006 and 2007, and a 125cc triumph in 2004.
Stoner follows with five victories at the circuit, including four in MotoGP and one in the 250cc class. Rossi has four wins, all in the premier category.
Among manufacturers, Yamaha leads the MotoGP honours at Lusail with 10 victories shared between four riders. Rossi won in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2015, while Lorenzo triumphed in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Vinales added victories in 2017 and the first race of 2021, before Fabio Quartararo won the second race that year.
Ducati is close behind with nine premier-class victories. Its successes came through Stoner in 2007, 2008 and 2009; Dovizioso in 2018 and 2019; Enea Bastianini in 2022; Fabio Di Giannantonio in 2023; Francesco Bagnaia in 2024; and Marquez in 2025.
Honda has claimed three MotoGP victories at Lusail, with Gibernau winning in 2004, Stoner in 2011 and Marquez in 2014.
Aprilia's strongest results at the circuit have been fourth-place finishes, achieved by Aleix Espargaro in 2022 and Vinales in 2023.
In Moto2, Kalex is the most successful manufacturer at Lusail, having secured 12 victories between 2011 and 2025, with wins in 2011 and every year from 2013 to 2022, as well as in 2025.
Honda leads the Moto3 manufacturers' honours at the circuit with seven victories, recorded between 2015 and 2019, and again in 2022 and 2023.