Both Gajser and Bobryshev had a solid first race of the season taking second and seventh in the world championship standings to maintain Team HRC’s 100 per cent podium record at the Qatari venue since 2014.

Gajser, who has been fighting off an illness all weekend, found he had a battle on his hands in the first race as he fought for the podium between teammate Evgeny Bobryshev and Clement Desalle. It was the second race where he looked more comfortable and was able to take an early lead within the first few corners, pulling a gap between himself and Cairoli. In the last lap of the race Gajser’s energy waned and he sensibly surrendered his first-place finish to Cairoli. With a full season ahead, this is a positive start to the reigning world champions season despite the challenges he faced.

“Yeah I am actually really happy overall with the weekend,” said Gajser. “It didn’t start the best as I have been really sick all weekend but I was able to achieve two good races despite this.

“The first race I didn’t have the best start and I had to battle with Bobryshev and Desalle all race. It was tough to pass because there was only actually one fast line and the other lines were not the same speed. In the second race, I had a better start, I was leading and I pulled a gap between myself and Cairoli. Then, in the last two laps I was destroyed and I couldn’t give anymore but I am happy to start the season with second overall this weekend.”

Bobryshev started well in the first race and quickly got himself into second place and was running strongly, looking comfortable in the lead group. A couple of mistakes in the last few laps of the race cost the Russian a podium finish as he settled into fourth place. In the second race Bobryshev didn’t have the same jump out of the start meaning he had his work cut out to get back through the pack from eleventh. With the track becoming harder to ride and the lines limited, Bobreyshev had to settle for a seventh-place finish but took fourth overall in the GP, to lie fourth in the World Championship standings.

1. Tony Cairoli (ITA), KTM, 50 points (1-1)
2. Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 42 (3-2)
3. Clement Desalle (BEL), Kawasaki, 40 (2-4)
4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS), Honda, 32 (4-7)
5. Romain Febvre (FRA), Yamaha, 31 (10-2)

Results/Standings MX2 Losail 2017 after 1 of 19 rounds
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT), KTM, 50 points (1-1)
2. Benoit Paturel (FRA), Yamaha, 44 (2-2)
3. Julien Lieber (BEL), KTM, 40 (3-3)
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN), Husqvarna, 36 (4-4)
5. Michele Cervellin (ITA), Honda, 28 (6-8)