MotoGP riders against Qatar race plans amid secret meeting reports

The majority of the MotoGP grid are against the idea of the Qatar Grand Prix going ahead, as reports of a secret vote at Phillip Island emerge.

According to The Race, a secret meeting was held on Thursday ahead of the Australian Grand Prix between all of the riders.

A vote was held on the idea of going to Qatar at the start of November for the 20th round of the season, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East due to the conflict between Iran and the US.

The publication’s MotoGP journalist Simon Patterson reports that two-thirds of those involved in the meeting voted against racing in Qatar.

MotoGP insists race will go ahead

However, whether this vote will have any impact on MotoGP's decision-making is unclear. 

MotoGP was originally scheduled to hold the Qatar Grand Prix in April, before it was postponed to the weekend of 6-8 November due to the Iran war.

But numerous motorsport championships have cancelled planned events in the Middle East and moved them elsewhere because of the uncertainty.

MotoGP and its Liberty-owned sister series, Formula 1, have remained adamant that their Middle East races will go ahead as planned.

Earlier this week, the Lusail circuit said it was now in the final stages of its preparations for the events, both of which are being staged in November.

But the conflict in the region continues to escalate, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels launching attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

More and more world governments are also issuing advice against travelling to the region, including Qatar.

On Thursday, most of the riders asked about going to Qatar said they were happy to go if their safety was guaranteed.

But that guarantee is ultimately out of MotoGP’s hands, with US president Donald Trump threatening an escalation in strikes against Iran following next week’s mid-term elections.

MotoGP broadcasters already pulling out of Qatar travel

A number of broadcasters are already making plans to skip travelling to Qatar because of the uncertainty in the region if the race does go ahead.

Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport is thought to be one such broadcaster altering its Qatar plans.

UK broadcaster TNT Sport also looks set to skip Qatar, with Neil Hodgson noting on Friday in Australia that a studio in London would be used instead.

Not only is there the safety aspect influencing these decisions, but any escalation in hostilities is likely to cause severe disruption to the airspace in the region, as was the case earlier this year.

MotoGP has just one week between Qatar and the Portimao/Valencia double-header, with the championship battle poised to go all the way to the final round.