MOTOGP EXECUTIVE HEADS TO QATAR AS RACE SAFETY REVIEW LOOMS

MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta is expected to travel to Doha this week to assess whether the Qatar Grand Prix can be held safely, as uncertainty grows over the race scheduled for November 6-8.

The event was moved from April because of the war in Iran. The conflict has since escalated, while attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and updated government travel advice urging only essential journeys to the region have added to concerns.

MotoGP has so far maintained that the Qatar round will go ahead, completing the championship’s current triple-header. But riders reportedly voted against travelling during a private meeting at the Australian Grand Prix and asked Ezpeleta for clear safety assurances. According to GPOne, his Doha visit is intended to obtain those assurances before the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The decision carries consequences beyond the race itself. Qatar is financially important to the championship, but a further deterioration in the regional situation could put paddock personnel at risk. If airspace were closed while the series is there, teams and staff could be stranded, potentially disrupting the final rounds in Portugal and Valencia as well.

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola said the teams would follow the organiser’s assessment of the conditions. “If the organiser tells us that the conditions are right for us to compete from a safety standpoint, we simply do it,” he said at Phillip Island. “We are not in a position to say, ‘I’m not going’. So far, there’s not reason not to. Maybe tomorrow we’ll wake up, and the situation will change, but not today.”

Riders’ response to the assurances will be crucial. If they remain unconvinced, a boycott could be considered; without riders, the race cannot take place. For now, the outcome depends on the organisers’ safety assessment and whether it satisfies those expected to compete.