17 years ago, MotoGP raced on a Monday

Just like 17 years ago, April 13th should have been the day after a Grand Prix. Far from the reasons that led to the postponement of the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix, initially scheduled for last weekend, heavy rains in the desert had disrupted the original program, forcing the organizers to postpone the race... until Monday!

While rain often reshuffles the cards, or even disrupts the program of a Grand Prix in MotoGP – the most recent example being the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix – the opening round of the 2009 season, scheduled at the Losail circuit in Doha, will remain one of the most unique days in the modern history of MotoGP.

On Sunday, the weather initially disrupted the smaller engine classes. In the 125cc race, the race was stopped after only four laps. Andrea Iannone, who was leading at the time of the stoppage, was declared the winner and awarded half the points, as the minimum required distance had not been covered.

A rainy Sunday

Following this, attention turned to whether or not the two other races would go ahead. The organizers, in conjunction with the safety officer and several drivers, inspected the track repeatedly. The track was drying, but the concern remained. Driving at night on a still-damp track was a risk that was difficult to accept.

The 250cc race was ultimately held, with a delayed start of about forty minutes. The distance was reduced from 20 to 13 laps. This decision allowed for full points to be awarded without disrupting the rest of the program. Héctor Barberá took the win ahead of Frenchman Jules Cluzel. The battle for the podium made for an intense finale between several motorcycles. Mike Di Meglio finally secured third place after an aggressive final lap, becoming the second Frenchman to reach the podium.

MotoGP, meanwhile, remained on its original schedule before the situation deteriorated again just before the warm-up lap. Heavier rain than the first made the track unusable. Organizers were therefore forced to cancel Sunday evening's race. After discussions, the race was rescheduled for the following day.

On Monday, the race unfolded without major incident, and Casey Stoner was in complete control. Starting from pole position, the Australian took the lead from the start and maintained it until the checkered flag. Valentino Rossi took second place (+7.771) after trying to catch Stoner. Jorge Lorenzo completed the podium, some distance behind the winner (+16.244).

A French MotoGP Grand Prix will be held on Monday

While this race remains the only one in the modern era to have been held on a Monday, MotoGP had previously postponed events to the following week. Before the 2009 Qatar Grand Prix, the 1984 French Grand Prix was the last event to have taken place on a Monday. Scheduled for June 8-10 at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, the event was moved to the following Monday.

Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, and Randy Mamola swept the podium, securing an all-American sweep. Meanwhile, Frenchman Christian Sarron started from pole position in front of his home crowd in the 250cc class. However, he finished only 5th, behind his compatriot Thierry Espié, the highest-placed Frenchman.

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