Yamaha and its satellite team Pramac will boycott next week’s MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix, highlighting growing concern about travelling to the Middle East. MotoGP has warned of possible contractual and sporting sanctions, while Alex Marquez will also miss the event after scheduling surgery following his crash at the Catalan Grand Prix in May.
MotoGP maintains that the Lusail International Circuit event, scheduled for 6-8 November, will go ahead. Deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta travelled to Qatar to discuss safety guarantees with local authorities, while the other manufacturers and MotoGP personnel are still expected to attend.
The development has also raised questions about Formula 1’s plans. F1 is due to race in Qatar from 27-29 November before concluding the season in Abu Dhabi, and has told teams that its plans remain unchanged. A message circulated during the Mexican Grand Prix said that neither travel advice nor insurance arrangements had changed since May.
F1 is nevertheless continuing to monitor events, including the US midterm elections and the possibility that conflicts in the Middle East could escalate. The championship has a contingency option in Imola, where organisers were authorised more than six weeks ago to begin preparations and construct temporary grandstands. If the alternative is not required, F1 has committed to covering those preparation costs.
The situation has produced fewer public objections in the F1 paddock than in MotoGP. Teams and drivers have been asked to trust F1 and the FIA and to maintain the position they have expressed in recent weeks. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies and Williams team principal James Vowles have both said they rely on the governing bodies to assess the situation and make the appropriate decision.
Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz have offered more cautious public comments. Verstappen said he might prefer to race elsewhere if the choice were entirely his, while Sainz questioned whether the safety situation could yet be considered convincing. Sainz later clarified that he fully trusted F1 and the FIA.
Verstappen subsequently stressed that the decision would depend on the guarantees available and developments over the coming weeks, noting that the region remains unstable. F1 has told teams that safety remains the priority and that it will take the appropriate action if circumstances change, giving the championship more time to respond than MotoGP has before its Qatar round.
Sources: Autosport.