Here is the thing, as Motorsport.com Italia reports: MotoGP is pushing ahead with its plan to hold the Grand Prix of Qatar in three weeks, despite the delicate situation in the Middle East. The race was originally slated for April before being pushed back to the weekend of November 7 and 8 due to the war between the coalition of Israel and the United States against Iran that broke out at the end of February. While the conflict is still ongoing and most European countries advise against traveling to Qatar, the intensity has dropped compared to the early stages. The championship promoter, MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MGPSEG), judges the safety guarantees provided by local authorities and the local promoter to be sufficient for the event, which marks the final round of a triple-header following races in Australia next weekend and Malaysia the week after.
With just 15 days until the championship paddock sets up at the Losail circuit on the outskirts of Doha, the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) sent an email to all structures confirming the intention to race. The communication stresses that the local promoter has put together a specific contingency plan alongside the guidance received by MGPSEG. Furthermore, the association representing the teams notes that it is working with relevant embassies and that none of them have advised altering the current approach.
Behind the scenes, teams have held multiple meetings with top championship executives, who have maintained their stance throughout. Notably, Yamaha Factory Racing and Honda HRC have changed course after initially opposing sending personnel into a conflict zone. Yamaha went so far as nearly two months ago to order its logistics team to find alternative flight routes for all staff to bypass the hostile airspace, raising questions about how companies with strict internal policies against traveling to unstable regions will adapt.
Meanwhile, the riders themselves are split, with the vast majority viewing the trip to Doha with suspicion. Motorsport.com estimates that three-quarters of the grid would prefer to skip the event, while a quarter have no objections. We will soon see how the riders react this Thursday at Phillip Island when the topic comes up.
In dialogues between MGPSEG and the teams, CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and his son, deputy director Carlos Ezpeleta, have highlighted assurances from the Qatari government that Hamad International Airport is operating normally at full capacity, and that Losail is also scheduled to host Formula 1 over the weekend of November 27 to 29. "Stiamo seguendo da vicino la situazione. Abbiamo in programma di viaggiare in Qatar ma, ovviamente, la sicurezza e il benessere di tutto il personale e dei tifosi sono la nostra massima priorità. Continuiamo a monitorare gli sviluppi," Carmelo Ezpeleta stated ten days ago from Indonesia.
