Rain could prompt extra MotoGP session

Riders have never tackled the Losail circuit in wet conditions since it became a night race in 2008, with the '09 race delayed to Monday by rainfall.

Officials inspected the venue in the rain under lights earlier this year and cleared it for use, even though riders are not convinced.

Michelin has duly brought wet MotoGP tyres to Qatar for the first time, while Dunlop has flown in Moto3 and Moto2 tyres that arrived at the track three hours before the start of practice.

Rain is currently forecast for each of the next four evenings, the duration of the grand prix weekend, and running in practice in the wet is considered a pre-requisite for a race to be held in those conditions.

If rain starts falling after MotoGP's first practice session finishes at 8:40pm local time, an extra 30-minute session will be scheduled 10:45pm.

Following that, riders will then speak with officials in an impromptu Safety Commission meeting to discuss the rest of the weekend.

Additional running could put a strain on wet-tyre allocations, with Michelin's offering of five front rain tyres and six for the rear considered enough for the weekend, without factoring in another session.