Fresh doubts have been expressed by figures in the MotoGP paddock, as The Race reports, about whether next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix can go ahead. A looming re-escalation of the war between the USA and Iran continues to prompt meetings between the championship’s 22 riders and the series organisers regarding safety assurances.
The MotoGP weekend is set to get underway at Lusail next Thursday, two days after the US midterm elections. This week has seen a series of warnings issued by governments and media that US president Donald Trump will seek to resume hostilities with Iran as soon as voting is complete. Qatar hosts the largest US air force base in the region only a few miles from the Lusail circuit, and was struck by missile and drone attacks in March when the US first attacked Iran. Houthi forces have also launched strikes from Yemen increasingly close to Qatar in recent weeks, amid continued conflict with neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
The threat of imminent escalation first prompted the MotoGP grid to assemble last week in Australia for a rare all-hands meeting, before follow-ups in Sepang, first with their team bosses and then with MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta. VR46 Ducati racer Fabio Di Giannantonio explained to The Race that the goal is to work with MotoGP to try to have the best safety, guarantees, and insurances for all members of the paddock. He emphasized that it is not a fight, but a cooperation to try to improve everybody's conditions to try to race there.
However, any sort of guarantee of the 2,000-strong paddock’s safety is likely to be beyond the reach of the championship’s organisers right now. A regional escalation could cause airports in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to be shut down, potentially leaving the paddock trapped in an active warzone until things cool down. Increasingly severe government warnings in recent days have escalated the risk level for Qatar, warning citizens to only travel there for essential reasons and to have a concrete escape plan for evacuation.
For the first time on Thursday in Sepang, there were hints of teams refusing to take part in the race. Alex Rins seemed to confirm speculation that the Japanese government’s travel advisory would prevent the country's two factory teams, Honda and Yamaha, from travelling there. Rins noted that Yamaha is one of the unique ones that does not know if they will go to Qatar, while highlighting that the riders are more united than ever after sitting down in Phillip Island and meeting with team managers and Mr. Ezpeleta.
