MotoGP Qatar GP: Live commentary and updates from Lusail

As six rather young kids shout the Qatari national anthem, MGPSEG boss Carmelo Ezpeleta is inscrutable. He ought to be beaming, really: he's getting the race he wanted despite so much opposition! 

Did you catch the sprint race yesterday? No? There was ALL sorts going on! Marc Marquez took maximum points, but not without controversy. Catch up on what happened here:

About that reshuffled grid, here are the top 10 starters. Relevant for the title battle: Bagnaia's absence elevates Martin from 11th to 10th.

Grid

All Stats

 

Cla	Rider	#		Bike	Time	km/h
1	M. Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing Team	72		Aprilia	1'50.028	176.027
2	M. Marquez Ducati Team	93		Ducati	+0.266 1'50.294	175.603
3	F. Di Giannantonio Team VR46	49		Ducati	+0.299 1'50.327	175.550
4	R. Fernández Trackhouse Racing Team	25		Aprilia	+0.429 1'50.457	175.344
5	A. Ogura Trackhouse Racing Team	79		Aprilia	+0.568 1'50.596	175.123
6	J. Zarco Team LCR	5		Honda	+0.707 1'50.735	174.904
7	P. Acosta Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	37		KTM	+0.844 1'50.872	174.687
8	F. Aldeguer Gresini Racing	54		Ducati	+0.862 1'50.890	174.659
9	E. Bastianini Tech 3	23		KTM	+0.973 1'51.001	174.484
10	J. Martin Aprilia Racing Team	89		Aprilia	+1.036 1'51.064	174.385
View full results

What else makes this a hotly anticipated race? Ah yes, there's a world championship that could be decided! But don't get too excited...Marc Marquez can only seal the title if he wins and Jorge Martin fails to finish. There is also, mathematically, a chance of Marco Bezzecchi remaining in the hunt if Marc hits trouble. Assuming my arithmetic can be trusted under pressure, we'll update you on the equation as the race unfolds. If you'd rather do it yourself, the magic number is 74: that's how many points are still available for an individual rider after this weekend.

Bagnaia had been set to start fifth and Marini 14th, but the grid has been reshuffled following their withdrawals. (If you're struggling to keep up with MotoGP's health-related comings and goings, I recommend an Excel sheet...) 

When Yamaha pulled out, we thought we were down to 18 bikes...but that has now become 16. Francesco Bagnaia had a nasty accident in yesterday's sprint and will miss out. Joining him on the sidelines will be Luca Marini, who pulled out on race morning as fatigue issues continue to plague him. 

This race has been a hot topic in recent weeks given the conflict in the Persian Gulf. Despite plenty of talk, though, all the teams are here and ready to go racing - with the exception of the four Yamaha bikes. 

This is Richard Asher and I'm pleased to take you through proceedings this evening. Where to start? Let's catch up on a few things in case you've been busy with life....

The day has finally dawned! In fact, the day has come and gone already, because the Qatar GP is a night race. Whatever, the most talked-about race in recent living memory is 30 minutes away and you are most welcome to our live text coverage!