Carlos Ezpeleta Heads to Doha Amid Growing Doubts Over Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix Survival
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The MotoGP calendar faces a new crisis as the Qatar Grand Prix teeters on the edge of cancellation, following the recent loss of the Phillip Island round due to safety concerns. With multiple governments issuing stern travel advisories against non-essential journeys to the Middle East, the MotoGP paddock is gripped by uncertainty ahead of the November 6-8 race at Losail.
Team bosses Massimo Rivola of Aprilia Racing and Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi have publicly declared their reliance on the MotoGP organiser’s assurances. “If they tell us it’s safe, then we go. Otherwise, we don’t,” Rivola stated, underscoring a fragile trust in the information provided by Dorna Sports. This trust, however, masks a complex dilemma: the organiser must simultaneously safeguard participants’ welfare and uphold the event’s substantial economic and contractual stakes. Such dual responsibilities necessitate independent risk assessments and greater transparency towards teams.
Diplomatic warnings add a stark geopolitical dimension
Diplomatic warnings add a stark geopolitical dimension to the dilemma. Spain advises postponing travel to Qatar, Belgium discourages all non-essential visits citing risks of sudden airspace closures, and France urges heightened vigilance amid ongoing regional instability. These official recommendations highlight that no travel to Qatar can be presumed entirely secure at this juncture.
The concerns extend far beyond the 22 riders. Mechanics, technicians, logistics personnel, suppliers, and journalists all face potential disruption or entrapment should transportation infrastructures falter. At Phillip Island, a riders’ meeting revealed that approximately two-thirds opposed travelling to Losail, demanding concrete evacuation plans, support for team staff, and financial coverage in case of extended quarantine or lockdowns in Doha. This is not a matter of track safety alone; it is about the ability to protect and repatriate the entire paddock if conditions deteriorate rapidly.
Some external contractors are already contemplating scaling back their presence. Alessio Salucci from VR46 has indicated that his team might allow staff to decide individually whether to travel, a gesture of personal freedom that nonetheless falls short of comprehensive safety policies.
Into this charged atmosphere arrives Carlos Ezpeleta,
Into this charged atmosphere arrives Carlos Ezpeleta, the head of Dorna, set to travel to Doha on Wednesday for what has been dubbed the “last chance” mission to secure additional guarantees. The official stance remains that preparations continue for the Qatar GP, but the calendar’s tight sequence exacerbates the risk. After Malaysia, teams must transit through Qatar to reach the season’s final European rounds in Portugal and Valencia. An airspace closure would not only endanger the Qatar race but jeopardise the entire end-of-season logistics chain, with no contingency plans announced.
The situation demands a clear reckoning: governments issue multiple travel warnings; riders insist on robust evacuation assurances; teams, despite their duty of care to employees, largely defer to organisers. Yet the spectacle of MotoGP cannot override fundamental safety principles. The cancellation of Phillip Island, driven by inadequate medical evacuation facilities, set a precedent for caution that must now be applied to Qatar—before the paddock departs, not after.
Will 2026 witness a MotoGP race at Losail? The signs are increasingly doubtful, as safety concerns overshadow sporting ambitions and economic imperatives. The coming days, and Ezpeleta’s findings in Doha, will be decisive for the fate of the Qatar Grand Prix.
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