VR46 WILL RACE IN QATAR, SALUCCI SAYS

Yamaha’s decision to skip the upcoming MotoGP round at Doha’s Lusail International Circuit has sent a shock through the paddock. For now, the four factory Yamaha riders—Fabio Quartararo, Álex Rins, Jack Miller and Augusto Fernández—are expected to be the only competitors absent. Gresini Ducati’s Álex Márquez will also miss the event, with a shoulder injury preventing him from racing.

VR46 team manager Alessandro Salucci said he understood that riders might make their own choices about travelling to Doha. “If a rider really decides not to take part, it is a very personal and private decision. Everyone thinks differently about it. I respect the riders’ decisions, because the situation in Doha is obviously not the best,” he told Sky Italia.

However, Salucci confirmed that VR46’s riders would attend. He pointed to the team’s obligations under its agreement with MotoGP, as well as its contracts with its riders: “We have a contract with the MotoGP group that we must always honour, and under it we have to ensure our riders go out on track. We teams, in turn, have a contract with the riders.”

Yamaha’s withdrawal is a direct challenge to the promoter despite existing contractual commitments and the prospect of penalties. The decision comes amid wider concerns from riders, including championship leader Marc Márquez, about the relentless schedule. The 22-round calendar continues to fuel debate over the demands placed on those competing in the series.