Qualifying Races

Defending world champion Tim Gajser has won the qualifying race (to determine tomorrow’s gate pick) at the opening round of the FIM World Motocross Championship in Qatar.

Antonio Cairoli, who was fastest in both free and timed practice earlier in the day, finished second ahead of Gautier Paulin in his Husqvarna debut.

Evgeny Bobryshev finished fourth, followed by Jeremy Van Horebeek, Arnaud Tonus, Romain Febvre, Max Anstie, Clement Desalle and Jordi Tixier.

Jeffrey Herlings finished 16th.

Herlings’ former MX2 teammate at Red Bull KTM, Pauls Jonass, won the MX2 qualifying race over France’s Benoit Paturel and Jeremy Seewer.

Spanish teen Jorge Prado took fourth, followed by Hunter Lawrence, Julien Lieber, Thomas Kjer Olsen, Americans Darian Sanayei and Thomas Covington, and Brent Van doninck.

Racing starts tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. EST on MXGP-TV.com.

MXGP - Qualifying Results

MX2 - Qualifying Results

Timed Practice

Red Bull KTM's Antonio Cairoli continues to set the pace early at the MXGP of Qatar. Cairoil, who topped free practice, also set the fastest time in timed practice with a 1:44.060.

Suzuki's Kevin Strijbos was second (1:44.166), with Cairoli's teammate Glenn Coldenhoff rounding out the top three.

Romain Febvre, Tim Gajser, Max Anstie, Arnaud Tonus, Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle, Jeremy Van Horebeek rounded out the top 10.

Jeffrey Herlings, who is nursing a hand injury, finished 12th.

Russian Vsevolod Brylyakov was fastest in MX2, followed by Benoit Paturel and Jeremy Seewer. Pauls Jonass, who set the fastest time in free practice, was 11th.

Americans Thomas Covington (sixth) and Darian Sanayei (16th) both finished inside the top 20.

The qualifying races are up next.

MXGP - Timed Practice

MX2 - Timed Practice

Free Practice

Eight-time world champion Antonio Cairoli was quickest in free practice today at the opening round of the 2017 FIM World Motocross Championship in Qatar.

Cairoli, who enters the season after winning the Italian Motocross Championship, bested Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jordi Tixier. Cairoli (1:42.693) and Tixier (1:42.993) were the only two riders to set laps in the 1:42 range.

The 2015 world champion Romain Febvre was third, followed by MXGP rookie Max Anstie, 2016 world champion Tim Gajser, Gautier Paulin, and Jeffrey Herlings.

Red Bull KTM’s Pauls Jonass set the quickest time in MX2, with a 1:44.310, just edging out the privateer Julien Lieber (1:44.409), who is competing for the first time in 17 months due to injury.

American Thomas Covington was third, followed by Vsevolod Brylyakov and Jeremy Seewer. Washington's Darian Sanayei was 10th.

Make sure to check out our 2017 MXGP Preview that was posted yesterday.

Here is the rest of the schedule for today: