Yamaha Refuses To Race In Qatar Despite MotoGP's Penalty Threats
Despite concerns that President Donald Trump will restart hostilities in the U.S. war against Iran after the midterm elections, MotoGP must go on. But Yamaha announced Sunday that it will not travel to the Lusail International Circuit for next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. The Japanese manufacturer cited a company-wide policy currently barring travel to the Middle East. In response, MotoGP threatened Yamaha with contractual and sporting implications.
Yamaha's absence means that its two factory motorcycles and Pramac's two satellite bikes will not compete in Qatar. The company stated, "This decision reflects Yamaha's assessment of the information currently available and is independent of the measures implemented by MotoGP Group and the event organizer." While the safety of the team's employees should be paramount, Yamaha didn't have much to lose competitively. The factory team and Pramac are in the last two spots in the teams' standings. Yamaha expects to return for the next round in Portugal, but the manufacturer might not be allowed to rejoin.
MotoGP's response offered few details about the implied financial and competitive consequences, but the championship's organizers stated that every other team committed to racing in Qatar. Don't be deceived by the release, though. The riders have been far from content with the situation they have been forced into.
The riders don't want to be caught in the crossfire
Riders first held a secret meeting on the matter at Phillip Island ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. It's safe to say management didn't take it well. Last week, The Race reported that MotoGP refused to even give the riders a meeting room at Sepang last weekend. Instead, they reconvened inside Yamaha hospitality. MotoGP also threatened to ban any riders who boycott Qatar from the final two rounds in Portugal and Spain. According to Motorsport.com, outgoing Pramac rider Jack Miller revealed:
"I don't want to go. Like everybody. There's 19 of us that don't want to go there. I don't think we should be racing like that. We've made our opinion very clear on that. We'll see what the decision is.
As riders, we've united and done the best we can, and threatened the best we can with what ammunition we have. Not only for us as riders, but also other people in the championship. You speak to 50% of the paddock, nobody wants to go. I don't understand why we need to. I don't understand."
Some riders are finding their own ways out of racing in Qatar without consequences. Alex Marquez elected to undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder, which he injured in May. He aims to miss only Qatar. It wouldn't be surprising if other riders with lingering injuries also withdraw.
No matter what assurances MotoGP made to all 22 riders, there's no way it could guarantee everyone's safe passage out of Qatar should things escalate in the region further. There are hundreds of people who work in the paddock across MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3. Organizers also can't prevent the worst-case scenario of Lusail Circuit itself being the target of an Iranian drone or missile strike, and the track sits 27 miles away from Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.