Riders play nice at controversial MotoGP Qatar GP: 'Everything feels normal'

There was no sign of rider resistance on Thursday at Lusail, with Francesco Bagnaia and Pedro Acosta taking a friendly stance with the organisers

Following their last-minute arrivals in Doha, top MotoGP riders have adopted a conciliatory tone about this weekend's hotly-debated Qatar Grand Prix.

Given the ongoing conflict in the region, most riders were reluctant to travel to the event, almost resulting in a standoff with series owners MGPSEG. Yamaha's withdrawal from the event and riders adopting a fly-in-late approach made for an unclear situation as Thursday began. 

But with the riders now on the ground and fulfilling their media commitments, they are choosing to be positive about the situation - at least in terms of their comments to the press. 

While most riders did not reference the unusual circumstances around the race at all, both Pedro Acosta and Francesco Bagnaia offered lines perfect for burying the hatchet with the organisers.

"It's true that I was a bit worried," said factory Ducati rider Bagnaia. "I cannot hide about my feeling about arriving here.

"But I decided to fully trust Dorna [MGPSEG], the organisers, IRTA and the government. I think they are all working for our safety. They have provided us with almost everything we asked for.

"We need to work together. It's better to work together. I think it's the correct thing."

The Italian added that the paddock felt as he had expected and that he was not afraid now that he was in the Gulf nation. 

"I was expecting that the atmosphere in the paddock would [be like] normal. I feel that we [don't need to] be afraid of a bombardment here. The only fear we can have is that they close the airport."

KTM factory rider Acosta took a very similar line to that of his Ducati counterpart. 

"If they [the organisers] decided at the time to come [here], I understand it was because everything was under control," he said in his Spanish briefing. 

"The arrival here was normal," he added in his English interview. "Everything was looking quite normal.

"I understand that if you start to read all the media, maybe you can get quite afraid of everything. But in the end, we have to do what our contractual things say. 

"And also, we have to be professional with the championship, with the team and with the brand."

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- The Autosport.com Team

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