With the official name Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, the 2024 MotoGP season-opener brings the who’s who of motorcycle racing to Lusail International Circuit. The defending champion Francesco Bagnaia will be there, and so will his main rivals, Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin, as well as many other elite riders.
They’ve all set their eyes on the Qatar GP, but only one can win on March 10. So, who will it be? To see what we think, read our Qatar MotoGP prediction until the end!
2024 Qatar MotoGP Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Francesco Bagnaia | +151 |
| Marc Marquez | +186 |
| Jorge Martin | +340 |
| Enea Bastianini | +710 |
| Brad Binder | +1500 |
| Pedro Acosta | +1725 |
| Marco Bezzecchi | +3400 |
| Alex Espargaro | +4400 |
| Fabio Di Giannantonio | +4500 |
| Fabio Quartararo | +5600 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar
- Date: Sunday, March 10, 2024
- How to Watch: VideoPass
Ducati Riders Usually Do Well in Qatar
Ducati riders won the last two Qatar MotoGP races. Last year, it was Fabio Giannantonio, while two years ago, it was his fellow Italian, Enea Bastianini.
Last year’s race was particularly good for Ducati as, in addition to two Giannantonio, two other Ducati riders ended up on the podium, namely, Francesco Bagnaia (No. 2) and Luca Marini (No. 3).
Finishing second was Bagnaia’s best record on this track. Before that, we saw him retire twice from the Qatar MotoGP race. He did, however, win once at Lusail International Circuit while competing in Moto2.
Speaking of MotoGP contestants riding Ducatis, the 2024 season will be the first for Marc Marquez with this kind of motorcycle.
Marc Marquez Debuting His New Ducati
After 10 years with Repsol Honda, legendary Marc Marquez has a new team. In the 2024 MotoGP season, he’ll be racing for Gresini Racing MotoGP, which is a satellite team of Ducati.
He’ll be riding a Ducati motorcycle for the first time in his career. Obviously, he’s already taken it on test drives in the pre-season, but it’s the Qatar MotoGP race that will see him compete with his new Ducati for the first time.
Will his new bike take him to the top of the podium straight away or will Marquez need more time to get used to it? We think the latter is more likely, and it’s not just because it’s a new start for the Spaniard. It’s also because this is the first race of the 2024 MotoGP season and everyone’s fired up, including his main rivals.
2024 Qatar MotoGP Prediction
We’re going to back the reigning MotoGP champ Francesco Bagnaia to take the season off to a flying start. The previous MotoGP race at Lusail International Circuit was some four months ago and Bagnaia finished second. Now, we expect him to do even better.
Pick: Francesco Bagnaia