Yamaha pulls out of Qatar MotoGP, but the race goes ahead
Yamaha has withdrawn from the Qatar MotoGP, but the race is still on. The motorcycle world championship's event at Lusail International Circuit is scheduled for 6 to 8 November, after being postponed from April.
Yamaha cited the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a statement published on its racing website, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. said it had told the MotoGP Group it would keep its existing company-wide travel restrictions for Qatar. The company said it had not found sufficient grounds to change those restrictions for travel to the Middle East. Reuters reported that Yamaha had been waiting for instructions after the Japanese government advised its citizens against non-essential travel to the region.
Two Yamaha-powered teams are still set to compete. Honda is entering, and Pramac Racing, which runs Yamaha bikes as a satellite team (a separate team using the manufacturer's machines without being its official factory outfit), is also on the entry list.
The decision comes after reports that 19 of the 22 riders signed a letter raising concerns about racing in Qatar. Despite that, MotoGP decided to keep the event on track after a meeting with teams.
MotoGP said it was disappointed by Yamaha's decision. The series argued that it does not reflect the extensive assurances given by Qatar and by independent safety advisers. Qatar has said it can guarantee that teams would not be stranded if the conflict escalates. MotoGP also said the withdrawal will have sporting implications for Yamaha, though it did not spell them out.
The wider backdrop is a conflict that has been running for most of the year. In February, the United States and Israel launched air strikes against Iran. Iran responded by firing missiles at Israel and at other countries in the region with links to the US.
MotoGP is run by Liberty Media, which also owns Formula 1. That matters because F1 faces the same region. F1 says it is continuing with plans to stage the Qatar Grand Prix on 27 to 29 November and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 4 to 6 December. It says it has been given security guarantees it considers suitable, and that there have been no attacks on civilian infrastructure in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates since May. Imola in Italy is being readied as a possible host for the season finale on 4 to 6 December if the two Gulf races cannot go ahead.
For MotoGP, the result is a race weekend with one of the sport's major manufacturers absent, and a rider group that has already made its concerns public. Whether those concerns change anything before 6 November will depend on what happens in the region over the next few days.
