Has anyone been to Qatar

was in abu dhabi in sept there and met up with some ducati owners at ducati abudhabi...if your on facebook there is a DOC dubai who will be able to help..the president is a guy called dick..some members are organising a run thru to qatar so may have some good info for you

 

Hi, I was lucky enough to be working in Doha in 2005 over the MotoGP weekend. We were saying in the Hotel Intercontinental (which I can recommend although it isn't cheap, but then I wasn't paying!) and most of the teams were staying there too, although the riders weren't. However, on the Saturday night Rossi was having a meal and a few jars with his crew in the Mexican restaurant in the hotel complex.

We went to the race and it was the most bizarre motorsport experience I've ever had... The Losail circuit is less than an hour from Doha and it is literally in the middle of the desert. We drove there, parked the car in the tiny car-park and walked across the road into the grandstand. Once the race was done it was into the car and we were back in the hotel less than an hour later!

There was no camping, no-one was allowed anywhere around the track other than in the grandstand and there wasn't even any merchandising (T-shirts etc...) There were no queues in or out of the car park and the stands were half-empty.

Of course, this was when the event was quite new (I think it was only the second year?) and Sunday is a normal, working day in Qatar. Maybe a few years of experience and the fact that it's now a night-race might have made it a bit more popular...?

Cheers
Darren

 

The racing will hopefully be good but I live in Dubai and work in Abu Dhabi and everyone knows Doha is a bit of a soulless place. However, if you're only spending a couple of days there you'll be fine. PM me if you're going, I intend to go myself.

 

hi flyer
are you in the dubai ducati owners club?
seems pretty decent bunch o guys..quite into theyr ducatis...i was also at the abu dhabi ducati store opening when i was over in september..you there too?

 

Four of us went in 2011 and stayed in the Four Seasons where Honda were staying Casey Stoner, Danny Pedrosa and their crews. As iambadgerous says, it's surreal as it's a fabulous circuit in the middle of the desert with one Grandstand and very few spectators. We bought four day passes on arrival for $25. That's correct, four day passes for $25. However, there are bugger all facilities and getting a pizza between the Moto 2 and Moto GP race at 10 pm was pure comedy as three guys tried to serve 200 people? It's the most conspicuously wealthy place I've ever been and can only pressume they don't need the money?

The saving on the entry is small change as everything else is eye wateringly expensive. Hotels are sky high prices and you can buy beer in western hotels, or with the Pearl perimeter, but a standard bottle of beer is £10. I kid you not. It lacks the atmosphere of other tracks, but if you want to get close and watch the practice and racing from the comfort of a sparsely populated grandstand this place is great.

 

Hi, me and a mate went back in 2007 when the series went to 800cc and it was the last of the day races. We went in the VIP section which was well worth it. We stayed at the Marriott Hotel in a twin room to keep cost down. Hotel had many different restaurants in. A few of the teams stay there. We hired a car and drove to the track and back each day. Parking was easy, fuel was so cheap it was a joke, i tipped the fuel attendant maybe 50p and he nearly fell over with joy!! The track is way out of the way which meant you could cain the ass out of the hire car!!

What struck me was on race day we didn't fancy sitting in the VIP area in the track so 20 mins before the start we drove round to the main entrance, parked, walked in and sat opposite a big screen in the main grandstand just down from the start/Finish line. Not sure what it is like now but the security was so lapse back then. We did a couple of pit/paddock walks on practice day and were allowed to just wonder off for half the day chatting with riders, getting pictures etc!! I bought a T-shirt and got most of the moto gp riders to sign it. Hangs on my wall now framed!! The atmos is nowhere near the same as other tracks though but it is a good choice to get closer than usual. Plus, f all to do other than watch the bikes and chat to the pit girls

 

I think you should take the bike, that would be great road trip although maybe a little dodgy around Syria and Iraq !