Rain stops testing in Qatar

The opening night of MotoGP testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar has already been badly disrupted by rain.

Only ten riders had been out on track when a heavy cloudburst hit the desert track, located on the outskirts of the Qatar capital Doha.

Aussie Chris Vermeulen topped the timesheets when the rain fell, completing five laps on the factory Suzuki GSV-R to post a best time of 2.01.843.

The rain fell just before 7pm local time with less than an hour of track time completed. An hour later nobody had managed to venture back out on the Qatar track, which will host the opening MotoGP of 2009 on April 12.

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have not even taken to the track, with Dani Pedrosa also yet to emerge from the pits on the Repsol Honda,

Italian Marco Melandri though has been out on track for the first time since his last action at the end of November in Phillip Island, Australia.

Melandri is riding a factory Kawasaki ZX-RR, badged under the new name of Hayate and he completed eight laps. The former world 250 champion set a best time of 2.04.045.