VR46 BOSS EXPECTS TOUGH YAMAHA SANCTIONS AFTER QATAR WITHDRAWAL

VR46 team boss Pablo Nieto expects Yamaha to face a severe penalty after withdrawing from the Qatar Grand Prix, while he thinks Pramac Racing may avoid sanctions because some of its staff travelled to the circuit.

Yamaha announced after the Malaysian Grand Prix that it would not take part in the Qatar round. The decision also left its satellite team, Pramac, unable to race: although the team’s Moto2 operation is competing, its MotoGP staff are Yamaha employees. Pramac’s Moto2 squad uses Boscoscuro machinery, and rider Izan Guevara is in contention for the 2026 title against Manuel Gonzalez.

Pramac nevertheless had a presence in the premier-class paddock. MotoGP journalist Mat Oxley reported seeing team personnel setting up its garages on Tuesday, suggesting their attendance might be intended to avoid a team penalty. Asked about the situation by Diario AS journalist Mela Chercoles on Friday, Nieto said he believed the consequences would fall mainly on Yamaha.

“I think the penalty will be more against Yamaha than Pramac, because Pramac showed up here, but their problem is they can’t race because their staff are Yamaha employees,” Nieto said. He added that he could not be certain how officials would respond, noting that such a situation was unprecedented and that MotoGP Group was still considering what action to take.

Nieto expects the punishment to be substantial because teams had already been warned about the consequences of boycotting the event. “They warned us that they were going to be very strict, very tough, and I imagine that’s how it will be,” he said.

The FIM is understood to be responsible for deciding whether Yamaha should be penalised. The governing body has so far said little publicly about the withdrawal. Former team manager Carlo Pernat has criticised that silence, arguing it has made MotoGP’s leadership look “like a bunch of amateurs.”