RIDERS TELL TEAMS THEY OPPOSE RACING IN QATAR

MotoGP riders have reportedly told their teams they are unwilling to race at the Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled for 6–8 November, as conflict in the Middle East puts the event’s safety and future in question. The decision followed a private meeting at Phillip Island, where riders are said to have voted 15–5 against going ahead.

According to The Race journalist Simon Patterson, the riders hired a lawyer to send letters to their teams setting out their position and pressing them to respond. Patterson described the move as a way of turning the championship’s own arguments back on its organisers. Dorna has previously said it has no contract with the riders, and deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta reportedly argued that consulting them about the calendar was not his responsibility because they do not work for him.

Patterson said the letters asked, in effect: “We’re not ready to go racing in Qatar, what are you going to do about it?” He added that the riders had sent them to “light a fire” under the teams. The outcome remains unclear.

Dorna has repeatedly maintained that MotoGP intends to travel to Qatar. If the race is cancelled, it is not expected to be replaced, a prospect that could significantly affect the 2026 title contest. The championship has already lost the Australian Grand Prix, which was cancelled because of poor weather.

Riders were largely guarded when asked about Qatar at Phillip Island, prompting Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi to criticise what he saw as a lack of openness. He said some of Marc Marquez’s rivals held even stronger views on the issue but had not shown the same “courage” to express them publicly.

Several teams are reportedly sympathetic to the riders’ position. Ducati, Yamaha and Honda are expected to object to the Qatar race proceeding, potentially leaving Dorna facing a difficult decision as the scheduled date approaches.