As Motorsport.com reports, the tension surrounding this weekend's hotly-debated Qatar Grand Prix took a surprisingly quiet turn on Thursday at Losail. Despite earlier reluctance to travel due to the ongoing conflict in the region, top MotoGP riders adopted a conciliatory tone upon their arrival in Doha.
That hesitation nearly culminated in a standoff with series owners MGPSEG. Yamaha's withdrawal from the event and competitors choosing a fly-in-late approach left the situation completely unclear as Thursday began. Yet once on the ground and facing their media commitments, the riders opted for positivity in their public remarks.
I was expecting that the atmosphere in the paddock would [be like] normal. I feel that we [don't need to] be afraid of a bombardment here. The only fear we can have is that they close the airport.
While many avoided mentioning the unusual circumstances entirely, both Pedro Acosta and Francesco Bagnaia offered clear statements to smooth things over with the organisers. Factory Ducati rider Bagnaia admitted his initial apprehension straightforwardly.
"It's true that I was a bit worried," Bagnaia said. "I cannot hide about my feeling about arriving here. But I decided to fully trust Dorna, the organisers, IRTA and the government. I think they are all working for our safety. They have provided us with almost everything we asked for. We need to work together. It's better to work together. I think it's the correct thing."
The Italian noted the paddock atmosphere matched his expectations and dismissed any notion of ongoing terror. "I was expecting that the atmosphere in the paddock would [be like] normal. I feel that we [don't need to] be afraid of a bombardment here. The only fear we can have is that they close the airport."
KTM factory rider Acosta echoed those sentiments closely during his briefings. "If they decided at the time to come, I understand it was because everything was under control," he stated. He added in his English interview that the arrival was normal and that excessive media consumption could breed fear. "In the end, we have to do what our contractual things say. And also, we have to be professional with the championship, with the team and with the brand."
MotoGP
