The instability in the Middle East due to the United States’ war with Iran meant that the Qatar GP was already delayed in the 2026 MotoGP calendar, and now that we are approaching the date, things do not seem to be completely clear. Many members of the paddock do not welcome traveling there due to the possibility that the situation may be dangerous.
Among all the members of the paddock there is a group that can really exert their pressure regarding the dispute or not of the Qatar GP, and it is none other than the MotoGP riders. In fact, in recent weeks opinions have been leaking, but the fact is that the situation has begun to become more organized this weekend.
Prior to the Australian GP, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to GPOne colleagues, the MotoGP riders met by their own decision and without intervention from MotoGP to talk face to face and see, as a group, which way they should go.
A week ago it seemed that the situation was leaning more towards a collective refusal, but everything indicates that after this talk among themselves the group is willing to talk but, above all, requesting guarantees regarding security. Something that, to be honest and seeing the attacks that came to Doha a few months ago, no one can guarantee.
The decision on whether or not there will finally be the Qatar GP must be made shortly
What is evident is that the drivers have taken a first step in their organization, perhaps the Qatar GP will be the starting point for a collective group that ends up giving greater visibility to their thoughts and may have some negotiating capacity when making decisions.
In any case, what will or will not be done with the Qatar GP is something that is not yet known, but what is evident is that at this moment it remains on the calendar and has neither been suspended nor moved to another track. Even so, and despite the fact that the group seems more open to running in general than a few days ago, there are pilots who are not convinced that running is the right thing to do.
In any case, the clock is ticking and there are only two weeks left until the Qatar GP officially starts. Obviously, whether there is a cancellation or not, it seems that another scenario is not viable due to logistics, it is something that will have to be known in a maximum of a week before the materials leave for the Losail International Circuit after Malaysia.
Nor should we lose sight of the fact that a cancellation would alter the fight for the title by having fewer points at stake, although putting this situation in perspective regarding the safety of all the members of the championship, it is obviously the least of it.
