Yamaha pulls out of Qatar MotoGP over ‘situation in the Middle East’

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkYamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo raced at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2024 [File: Ibraheem Al Omari/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 1 Nov 20261 Nov 2026Yamaha has withdrawn its MotoGP team from next weekend’s race in Qatar, citing “the situation in the Middle East”.The Japanese manufacturer announced its decision shortly after the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.“Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions,” Yamaha said in a statement.Among the racers on the MotoGP grid riding Yamaha bikes is France’s Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 world champion. Alex Rins of Spain is the other racer on the Yamaha team.The sport’s governing body, the MotoGP Group, said it was “disappointed” by the decision and “Yamaha’s non-participation also carries sporting implications”.“While we recognise the team is subject to a broader corporate policy restricting travel to the Middle East, we do not believe this decision reflects the extensive assurances provided to all championship stakeholders,” it said.MotoGP said talks with the organisers in Qatar and safety advisers had not flagged any reasons to change plans for the event, which will run from Friday to November 8 at the Lusail International Circuit outside Qatar’s capital, Doha.“We communicated that position, together with the latest available information, to all manufacturers and teams today and welcome the confirmation from the remainder of the grid that they will compete in Qatar, and we thank them for that commitment,” the MotoGP Group said.The statements were released shortly after the Malaysian MotoGP in Sepang, after which there are just three races left in the season.Ducati’s reigning seven-time world champion, Marc Marquez, won the race at Sepang and could clinch the title in Doha.Qatar was subject to Iranian attacks from February to April after the United States and Israel began a war on Iran. On Friday, a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was hit by unidentified objects in the Gulf, and in September 2025, Israel carried out an air strike on Doha that killed and injured Hamas leaders.Al Jazeera has requested a comment from the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation.The Qatar Grand Prix is held at the Lusail International Circuit [File: Ibraheem Al Omari/Reuters]