MotoGP Daily Briefing: Riders’ Qatar revolt, Martin’s Sepang bid, Phillip Island washout
Key points
- Riders reportedly voted about 15 to 5 against racing in Qatar, and a lawyer sent letters to all teams saying they are unwilling to go.
- Dorna says the Qatar race will go ahead on November 6-8 and will not be replaced if cancelled; Carlos Ezpeleta flies to Doha to seek guarantees.
- Marc Marquez leads Jorge Martin by ten points after the cancelled Phillip Island finale, while Martin races to be fit for Sepang with a fractured radius.
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The Qatar Grand Prix is now the biggest question in MotoGP. Riders have reportedly voted heavily against going and sent legal letters to their teams, while Carlos Ezpeleta heads to Doha for guarantees. Marc Marquez leads Jorge Martin by ten points after a cancelled Phillip Island finale, and Martin is racing the clock to reach Sepang with a fractured radius.
Qatar: the riders push back
According to journalist Simon Patterson of The Race, riders voted about 15 to 5 against racing in Qatar at a confidential meeting at Phillip Island. A lawyer then sent letters to all the teams saying the riders are unwilling to go. The aim is to get round Dorna’s line that it has “no contract with the riders”. Patterson said the riders “fired these letters across to the teams to light a fire under them”. The vote is not officially confirmed. Ducati, Yamaha and Honda are reportedly expected to object to holding the race. Read more | Read more
Dorna says the race, scheduled for November 6-8, will go ahead and will not be replaced if cancelled. Deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta flies to Doha this week to seek guarantees. The race was originally postponed from April because of the Iran conflict, and governments have tightened travel advisories after Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure. Riders want answers on evacuation plans, airspace closures and safe repatriation. Aprilia’s Massimo Rivola summed up the teams’ position: “If the organiser tells us that the conditions are right for us to compete from a safety standpoint, we simply do it.” Read more
Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi defended Marquez, who he says has not refused to go but has asked for a security plan. “Marc is the only one with enough courage to speak up and try to mediate,” he said. He added that riders are employees of the teams, which hold the contracts with the organisers. Read more The row has also revived talk of an independent riders’ association, and Francesco Bagnaia voiced frustration at the lack of rider consultation over the Australian cancellations. Read more
The title fight after Phillip Island
Martin arrived two points ahead and took pole by almost 1.5 seconds. He crashed on lap eight of the Sprint while chasing Marquez, who won and took a ten-point lead. Sunday’s cancellation froze the standings: Marquez 365, Martin 355, Marco Bezzecchi 315. Mat Oxley called it “the best Sprint race you could ask for”, while Neil Hodgson found Martin “greedy”. Read more The Crash MotoGP Podcast also asks whether Marquez’s earlier comments on team orders weighed on Martin. Read more
Aprilia’s reaction was mixed. Rivola said Bezzecchi, who came from ninth on the grid to fourth in the Sprint, “is a bit pissed” and that “Jorge is happy”. He also regretted that “the last roar at Phillip Island deserved a better end”. Read more Tardozzi thinks Aprilia were unlucky and that Bezzecchi, 50 points back, “has the potential to win every race”. Read more Franco Morbidelli, 16th on 59 points, regretted missing the chance to race for the crowd. Read more
In Moto2, Manuel González keeps a 5.5-point lead over Izan Guevara. He said “one less race is one less risk”. Read more
Sepang: can Martin ride?
A CT scan in Melbourne showed the radius fracture is non-displaced, so no surgery is planned. Martin flew to Kuala Lumpur, where a local physiotherapist is following a two-phase plan from Aitor Tomás: cryotherapy and massage first, then magnetotherapy. Alpinestars has customised his right glove. The medical team led by Dr Ángel Charte will assess him on Thursday. Read more Tomás joins the camp on Tuesday. Read more
Rivola is cautious, calling a return “very, very difficult” and adding that the story between Aprilia and Martin “deserves to end in the best possible way”. Read more
2027 market and rules
- Fabio di Giannantonio wants minimum testing for all riders on the 850cc bikes and Pirelli tyres. He says nine riders have yet to try the tyres, and that “the expert riders will not be experts at all”. Read more
- Augusto Fernandez, filling in at Pramac Yamaha, says Yamaha’s 850cc prototype feels “like swapping brands”. Read more
- Johann Zarco backs Honda’s choice of Diogo Moreira over rookie David Alonso for the factory seat alongside Fabio Quartararo. Read more
- Pedro Acosta, bound for factory Ducati, says he “wouldn’t have done well” on a Ducati in 2026 given his frustration at KTM. Read more
Farewells and footnotes
Casey Stoner wrote that leaving Phillip Island this way “breaks my heart”. The Australian GP moves to Adelaide in 2027. Read more Jack Miller, who moves to World Superbike with Yamaha in 2027, said: “You really know how to break a bloke’s heart.” Read more
Acosta also ranks Marquez level with Valentino Rossi: “They are the two best ever.” Read more Marquez says he is not “the future of Ducati” and gauges his retirement against 70% of his physical capacity. Read more Bezzecchi now holds six circuit records, one more than Marquez. Aprilia owns 11 of the 22. Read more
What to watch tomorrow
- Tomás joins Martin’s camp in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday to start the hands-on treatment.
- Ezpeleta’s talks in Doha this week, and how the teams respond to the riders’ letters.
- Martin’s fitness check on Thursday, ahead of the Sepang weekend starting Friday.
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