The Qatar GP returns or, rather, remains up in the air due to the war that has been taking place in the Middle East since February. The war conflict has already forced the postponement of the Qatar GP that was scheduled at the beginning of the season, with MotoGP relocating it to the final part of the season just before Portugal and Valencia.
But since the situation is not improving and time is running out, MotoGP has to look for solutions soon to see what the future holds for the Qatar GP not only in 2026 but also in 2027 in case the war takes hold and the situation does not improve. F1 also has this problem and not only with the Qatari event but also with other GPs such as Bahraim that will be held in Sepang (Malaysia).
The differences between MotoGP and F1 are an important part of the reason why the decision has not yet been made. The Motorcycle World Championship would only be affected in one race, so the relocation or cancellation of the event is less problematic than what happens in the single-seater championship.
Carlos Ezpeleta, the MotoGP sports director, has spoken in this sense, and has spoken with his Motorsport colleagues to share how the situation is for now.
Right now the Qatar GP is still scheduled for the weekend of November 8 as an intermediate step between the Asian tour and the return to Europe for the end of the season and, in fact, those responsible for the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group affirm that they are still working with the possibility of the GP being held in Losail.
If Qatar is not viable as a setting, there are two other possible options
Logically, the situation is complicated, and it is for different reasons. From the outset, right now the safest option is not to visit the country and that includes not only the drivers and teams but the thousands of people who move with each GP. That involves travel, lodging, maintenance… hence a solution is becoming more and more urgent.
This solution could involve, in Ezpeleta’s own words, finding an alternative track with all that that entails. The problem is that right now it seems that there are no dates on most European tracks, which would be a cheaper and easier solution for everyone.
The decision will have to be made before the end of the month and although the main objective will be to race in Qatar and option B is to find an alternative track, ending up canceling the GP without replacing it is not ruled out at this time. A season of 21 or 22 races may have more or less importance on a sporting level, but not on a commercial level.
In any case, the countdown continues and it does so not only to see what solution ends up being offered to teams, drivers, suppliers, press… but also what the championship plans for 2027 and the sad possibility that the conflict will continue when spring arrives.
