MotoGP is pressing ahead with the Qatar Grand Prix despite tensions in the Middle East and concerns about safety. The event at the Lusail International Circuit was moved from April to November 6-8 because of the regional conflict, but it still stands on the calendar as the 20th round of the season.
A MotoGP source told Reuters that preparations are continuing and that the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved is the top priority.
Saudi events scrapped and US diplomats ordered out
Several sports events in Saudi Arabia have been abandoned this month. The Saudi International golf tournament, the Urban Cycling World Championships and the FIFAe World Cup were all cancelled after a strike on Riyadh’s international airport killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.
Also read: US orders non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia over Houthis · Saudi Arabia says it intercepted Houthi missile aimed at Riyadh
Earlier this week, the US Department of State ordered some diplomats and their family members to leave its missions in Saudi Arabia. It also plans to withdraw family members from a number of other US missions in the region.
Formula One and riders respond to the Qatar race
Formula One is also keeping its final two races, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, as planned. International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the situation in the region was “fine”.
The Formula One title could be settled before the last two rounds, with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli holding a 102-point lead. The MotoGP title race, by contrast, remains extremely close after 17 of 22 rounds. Aprilia’s Jorge Martin leads Ducati’s reigning champion Marc Marquez by two points before this weekend’s action at the Phillip Island Circuit.
Martin said he wanted to race in Qatar because the circuit is incredible, adding that he trusted the championship and the decisions of those who run it. “Nobody has said we’re not going. It’s just another race,” he said, adding that the event would only go ahead if his safety was guaranteed.
The race’s place on the MotoGP calendar
The Qatar Grand Prix has been a near-constant fixture on the MotoGP calendar since its debut in 2004. The only break came in 2020, when the race was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
