Marc Marquez dodges Qatar MotoGP question as race still planned

Marc Marquez dodged questions about MotoGP’s plans to hold the Qatar Grand Prix three weeks from now despite the escalating war in the Middle East.

MotoGP’s Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled for the weekend of 6-8 November, with teams recently told the event was still going ahead despite the conflict in the region getting worse.

In recent weeks, civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia has been struck by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, while numerous governments are updating travel advice for its citizens.

On Wednesday, the Lusail track said it was in the final stages of its preparations for MotoGP and Formula 1’s Qatar races.

“I prefer not to give my opinion”

Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, it is thought, at least behind closed doors, a large number of riders are wary about racing in Qatar due to the conflict.

But it appears now there may be company line to follow, based on the response from some riders when asked about it on Thursday at Phillip Island.

Reigning world champion Marc Marquez, when asked by reporters, said: “Regarding that, I prefer not to give my opinion at the moment.”

Championship leader Jorge Martin, who heads Marquez by two points, added: “Nobody has said we're not going.

“It’s just another race. If we go, great; if not, that's fine too. If the organisers decide we can go, it'll be because our safety is guaranteed.”

Alex Marquez was similarly diplomatic in his response, though acknowledged that the situation in the region is getting worse.

“The situation changes every day and it looks worse every day, that's just how it is,” he reported by Motorsport as saying.

“The championship tells us that everything is under control, but I think nobody has a situation like that under control; it's quite complex.

“So, I think things can change a lot from one day to the next and I don't think it's a decision they should make now.

“They need to be realistic and wait for the next few days. There's a lot of money at stake, for sure, and it's logical that MotoGP wants that money, but we also have to think about everyone's safety.

“They need to be careful because a lot of people will be going there.”

Why Qatar is important for MotoGP

On the surface, racing in a war-hit region should not lead to such a complicated decision regarding a grand prix.

But Qatar is a hugely significant round for MotoGP Group given the revenue it generates for the championship.

Its importance was noted when the outbreak of the war forced a postponement of the Qatar event from its April slot and a reshuffling of the calendar to push the final two rounds back a week, much to the annoyance of fans who’d already booked travel.

But it’s hard not to look at MotoGP as being something of a test for Liberty Media. If the MotoGP round can go ahead without a problem, then there is no reason Formula 1’s Qatar and Abu Dhabi double-header couldn’t either.

Yet, geopolitical conflicts don’t tend to be predictable. What happens next in the Iran war will depend on the outcome of the US Mid-term elections, with President Trump already threatening to renew his country’s bombing campaign afterwards.

On the possibility of racing in Qatar, Pedro Acosta said: “In that sense, I owe it to a brand and I race in a championship; so, if it's decided that we have to go, then we'll go and race there.

“If we go, it's because it's more or less guaranteed that the situation is safe.”

Pecco Bagnaia added: “I believe the common interest is to ensure total safety, and that’s Dorna’s main goal.

“If that’s not the case, I’m sure they won’t want to take any risks. I’d rather not go into further detail.”