An unexpected rain storm in the middle of the desert at Qatar has forced both Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to call an early halt to their MotoGP night test.

The pair had only completed one lap each when the heavens opened and, although the track did begin to dry, the surface was too patchy to do any significant lap times. On top of that, sand that has blown across the track which has further decreased grip and increased tyre wear.

“Five minutes of rain really gave us a lot of problems today. First we waited and then finally we decided to abandon it. I hope tomorrow it’s back to normal because this was our worst race last year and we need the time to see where we are and continue to improve with our new package," said The Doctor.

Lorenzo added: “I went out and on the third lap it started to rain – I couldn’t believe it! It seems strange to have rain in the desert and it’s been a nightmare for the team because we have lost a whole day. I hope it’s better tomorrow because I really want to try the new electronic system and also I need to keep working to improve with the Bridgestone tyres.”