As Motorsport.com Italia reports, MotoGP riders are expressing deep unease regarding the upcoming trip to the Qatar Grand Prix amidst a volatile regional conflict. With the race just two weeks away, the paddock remains divided on whether the event should press forward.
While championship leader Jorge Martin and others have maintained that the series will only travel if safety is assured, and riders like Marc Marquez have steered clear of commenting, Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing thinks the call is simply too hasty. Speaking this Thursday at Phillip Island ahead of the Australian GP, the Spaniard argued that a definitive choice could wait a few more days.
"Every day changes the situation and every day seems worse, that's how things are," Alex Marquez said. "The championship tells us that everything is under control, but I think that no one has a situation like this under control, it's quite complex, so I think from one day to the next everything can change a lot and I think it's not a decision they have to make now."
Officials are scheduled to meet with riders this Thursday at Phillip Island to brief them on the event and reassure them of their safety. Yet Alex Marquez insists that realists must wait, acknowledging the financial stakes for the series while urging organizers to prioritize human health and the well-being of everyone traveling to the venue, not just the competitors.
On the sporting side, the Gresini Racing rider is also bracing for unpredictable weather at Phillip Island. "The conditions will be quite difficult, it seems," he noted, explaining that the team will take things session by session across the weekend, particularly with Sunday shaping up to be the most complicated day.
Meanwhile, the physical toll of the triple-header in Australia, Malaysia, and Qatar is weighing heavily on the rider, who arrives in Australia recovered from the shoulder injury sustained in Barcelona but anticipating a difficult stretch. Having suffered soreness in Indonesia due to the back-to-back rounds in Motegi and Mandalika, he is consulting with doctors to manage the issue, knowing that proper recovery requires time.
Finally, looking ahead to the future, the younger Marquez is set to make the jump to the official KTM team for next season.
