Manufacturers Ups and Downs at Losail
Interesting facts about the performance of your favourite manufacturers in Qatar
Aprilia is currently the team to beat at Losail: they are the only manufacturer to have recorded four straight wins there: a double by Sylvain Guintoli in 2014 and a win each for Jordi Torres and Leon Haslam last year.
> Despite four wins, Aprilia has never started from pole in Qatar: their best grid position was third by Max Biaggi in 2009.
> Aprilia have never qualified outside of the top 10 in Qatar and have never finished a race lower than eighth (13 times). Their only retirement came as a result of Jordi Torres' crash in Race 2 last year.
The best result for BMW at the Losail International Circuit is ninth place, scored by Troy Corser in both races in 2009. Last year (2015) BMW scored points five times out of six starts: only Imre Toth wasn’t able to score as he came 17th in Race 1.
Ducati have claimed just one win in Qatar: from Troy Bayliss in Race 1, 2008. Since then, their best result has been second place, which they’ve scored four times out of seven races. Last year Chaz Davies was able to finish on the podium in Race 2 in 2nd place.
> Ducati and Yamaha have scored 3 pole positions each at the Losail International Circuit. The last Ducati rider to claim pole here was Davide Giugliano two years ago.
James Toseland won on a Honda in Qatar in Race 1 in 2006 and once again in Race 2 in 2007. Since then Honda have finished on the podium in Qatar just once, with Jonathan Rea in Race 2, two years ago. Last year Michael Van der Mark narrowly missed out on a podium after finishing fourth in Race 2.
> Since Losail returned to the WorldSBK calendar two years ago, Honda has scored points with both riders in every race.
This is the only track on the current calendar where a Kawasaki hasn’t won. They have recorded 6 podium finishes in the last four races at Losail, with the best result being a second place by Jonathan Rea last year in Race 1 and by Loris Baz two years ago in Race 1.
> Both factory Kawasakis have started from the front row in Qatar over the last two years: Tom Sykes recorded the pole position in 2015.
MV Agusta have scored points at the Middle Eastern circuit thanks to Claudio Corti two years ago: he was 14th in Race 2.
The last WorldSBK weekend for Yamaha in Qatar was in 2009 and Ben Spies dominated the proceedings, recording a pole position and winning both races. Between 2006 and 2009, Yamaha have finished on the podium at the Losail International Circuit six times.
