Yamaha boycotts Qatar Grand Prix amid ongoing Middle East war
by Rachit Thukral · AutosportAt least two riders expected to miss Qatar GP as Yamaha announces it will not travel to the Losail event
Yamaha will not travel to Doha to take part in next week’s Qatar Grand Prix amid the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the Japanese manufacturer announced on Sunday.
Both the factory team and its satellite partner Pramac will skip the 20th round of the season at the Losail International Circuit on 6-8 November.
Yamaha Motor Company has a clause in its internal contracts that allows it to prevent employees from travelling to war-effect regions.
The Japanese manufacturer is enforcing the travel ban after a final attempt by riders and teams to call off the Qatar GP on Sunday afternoon failed to pay off.
MotoGP continues to press ahead with the Doha round after deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta travelled to the country on Thursday to directly speak with the authorities, who provided assurances about the safety of paddock personnel.
However, the situation in the region remains unpredictable, especially with the mid-term elections scheduled in the US. Most countries around the world have been advising their nationals not to travel to Qatar.
"Following its latest assessment of the situation in the Middle East, Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions," Yamaha said in a statement.
"As a result, Yamaha has informed MotoGP Group about its decision not to participate in the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix.
"This decision reflects Yamaha’s assessment of the information currently available and is independent of the measures implemented by MotoGP Group and the event organiser.
"Yamaha remains fully committed to MotoGP and looks forward to returning to competition at the Portuguese Grand Prix."
Yamaha’s decision to withdraw from the Qatar GP has further escalated the standoff between MotoGP and the 11 teams on the grid. In all its meetings, the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group had reminded teams about their contractual obligations to take part in all rounds on the calendar.
Autosport reported this week that riders could face sporting or financial sanctions if they skip the Qatar race, including a potential ban from the following races in Portugal and Valencia.
In response, MotoGP has warned Yamaha of possible “sporting consequences”.
It has revealed that all other teams have confirmed their presence at the Losail round and that any sanctions on Yamaha will be determined by motorcycle racing's governing body, the FIM.
“MotoGP is disappointed by Yamaha's decision not to participate in the Qatar Grand Prix. 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 in a statement.
“Following consultation with the State of Qatar, Lusail International Circuit, independent safety advisers and MotoGP's own ongoing risk assessment process, MotoGP has not received any information that would warrant a change to the current plans for the event.
“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.
“In addition to the contractual implications of Yamaha's decision for its agreements with MotoGP and IRTA, Yamaha's non-participation also carries sporting implications, with any sporting consequences to be managed by the FIM in accordance with the Championship regulations.”
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