From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR – LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
29TH SEPTEMBER 2004 – EVENT PREVIEW

SHINYA AND ALEX READY FOR DESERT ADVENTURE

Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, will be a part of MotoGP history at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix, which takes place on the newly constructed Losail International Circuit near Doha this weekend.

The race brings the MotoGP World Championship to the Middle East, opening up a new market for spectators and the ever-increasing global television audience for the sport.

Invigorated by Nakano’s third-place podium result at last week’s Japanese Grand Prix, the Kawasaki squad is relishing being part of the Arabian Gulf adventure.

And the purpose built, 5.4 km, 16 turn Losail track will bring an unusual element to the 2004 MotoGP championship. For once, all riders will be ‘rookies’ as they face the challenge of a venue that is hosting its first Grand Prix, with no test or set-up data.

Hot weather is expected to send track temperatures soaring to 50 degrees, and the prospect of unknown grip levels on a new and smooth and possibly sand-blown track surface will be a challenge for both Kawasaki and Bridgestone engineers.

Not surprisingly Nakano comes to Qatar in a buoyant mood, having delivered the first MotoGP podium for the four-stroke Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR at his home race in Motegi.

That result came just three months after the Japanese rider’s nightmare, high-speed crash at the Italian GP at Mugello; a low point that Kawasaki’s tyre partner Bridgestone has recovered from with impressive speed.

Nakano’s Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate Hofmann, a rising young gun in the Grand Prix ranks, can also be proud of his tenth place finish at Motegi, as he continues on his steep MotoGP learning curve.

And as Hofmann notes, at Qatar he will not be the only rider learning a new track.

Apart from 16 turns, second only to Assen in Holland with 23 corners, the Losail track also features a 1,100 metre straight, which should produce 300 kph plus top speeds.

Anticipating the physical demands with a race in heat wave conditions, both Nakano and Hofmann have maintained their tough training schedules since the Japanese GP.

Immediately following the Qatar race there will be a rush to pack bikes, spares and race equipment to reach the next stop on the MotoGP calendar – the Malaysian GP at Sepang just one week later.

This punishing schedule is part of a relentless sequence of four races in five weeks, with the season ending at Valencia at the end of October.

Shinya Nakano: #56
“Of course I had a very good feeling after the podium at Motegi; it was a result I did not expect. It was very busy in the days after the race in Japan with many phone calls, interviews and a visit to the Bridgestone headquarters. Being on the podium just three months after my big crash at Mugello is a fantastic reward for all the hard work by Bridgestone and Kawasaki. Everyone involved with the team is now more confident and motivated. Qatar will be very different; a new track to learn and perhaps a surface that will be a little dusty given the desert location. I’m looking forward to the challenge. I will do some laps on a scooter with my race engineer before practice to try and understand what we need to be competitive at this track.”

Alex Hofmann: #66
“Qatar is a new adventure so everyone is a rookie at this track, not just me. It will be a busy time from first practice, with all the riders trying to learn as much about the track and the surface as they can. It is difficult to predict how the ZX-RR will adapt to this circuit, which looks fast on paper. Like many riders, all I know about the circuit is what Randy Mamola has told me after his demonstration laps at the track launch. Like South Africa, it seems the surface could be dusty for first practice but, hopefully, it will clean up and have some good grip by race day. Our Bridgestone tyres are generally very good at hot races, so that is a positive for us. I’m ready for a hot race; I had very enjoyable break after Motegi and got in the last of the summer mountain biking weather in Switzerland.”