What will happen to the MotoGP in Qatar? Teams have been put off until September

The situation in the Persian Gulf region remains highly tense, unstable and unpredictable: as things stand, no races can take place there due to the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US. The organisers of the World Endurance Championship have already responded by relocating the Qatar and Bahrain rounds to Barcelona and Monza.

In Formula 1, the Bahrain Grand Prix will be rescheduled – as a guest event at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on 4 October. The World Championship round in Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah, will not take place.

Commenting on the planned Grands Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “Our approach is to take as much time as possible to see how the situation develops, so that we can make the decision at the right time. That time will not be before mid-September. As things stand today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed.”

MotoGP teams are also being put off

Formula 1, like MotoGP, is owned by the US group Liberty Media. The MotoGP teams received the same information: no decision regarding the Qatar GP, scheduled for early November, will be made before September.

On 15 March, the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna) had postponed the desert race scheduled for April. As a result, the dates of two further events had to be adjusted: The Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão will now take place on 22 November, and the season finale in Valencia has been rescheduled for 29 November. For this reason, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has postponed its World Championship gala and moved it from Monaco to Málaga.

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No alternative venue in sight

At present, there is no alternative venue in MotoGP that automatically steps in in the event of cancellations, as was previously the case. It is not until 2028 that MotorLand Aragón will take on this role, provisionally for four years; in 2027, the Grand Prix will be held there for the last time on this circuit for the time being.

Should the Qatar GP be cancelled – which many in the paddock currently expect – there will be no alternative venue as things stand.

MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said back in March: “Our priority is always the safety and well-being of everyone involved in MotoGP, as well as ensuring that every Grand Prix is held to the highest standard. We are also aware of how important it is to provide our fans with clarity as early as possible, and ticket holders will be given the opportunity to transfer their tickets to the next event.”