The 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship is underway in Qatar, with Kevin Strijbos (MXGP) and Jeffrey Herlings (MX2) victorious in Friday evening’s qualifying races to secure the pole positions.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Strijbos led the MXGP moto from flag to flag, heading Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin and Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev. World champion Antonio Cairoli crashed on the opening lap, eventually recovering to seventh.

“All I did was get a good start and just tried to focus on riding my own lines and my own race,” Strijbos explained.

Red Bull Ice One Racing Husqvarna’s Todd Waters was a non-finisher after crashing out of the moto, but he’s expected to return for the championship motos.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Herlings won the MX2 qualifier as expected, from CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis and his teammate Arnaud Tonus.

“My fitness is pretty good, all I needed at this track was a good start and the rest would come by itself,” Herlings said. “So I just got a good start and took the holeshot and just tried to stay calm and ride smarter than I did in previous years.”

Australian champion Luke Styke was 16th in his first MX2 grand prix qualifying race for KEMEA Yamaha.

In the Women’s division Australian Meghan Rutledge was fastest in qualifying, near a full second faster than Livia Lancelot and Chiara Fontanesi.

2014 FIM Motocross World Championship
Round one – Losail Circuit, Qatar

MXGP qualifying race results:
1. Kevin Strijbos
2. Gautier Paulin
3. Evgeny Bobryshev
4. Steven Frossard
5. Davide Guarneri
6. Maximilian Nagl
7. Antonio Cairoli
8. Clement Desalle
9. Jeremy Van Horebeek
10. David Philippaerts
DNF. Todd Waters (AUS)

MX2 qualifying race results:
1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Dylan Ferrandis
3. Arnaud Tonus
4. Glenn Coldenhoff
5. Jose Butron
6. Max Anstie
7. Julien Lieber
8. Christophe Charlier
9. Jordi Tixier
10. Petar Petrov
16. Luke Styke (AUS)

Click here for detailed results