MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group has admitted that the Qatar Grand Prix is “unlikely” to occur amid the war between the US, Israel and Iran.
Qatar was one of the Middle Eastern countries affected by the counter-strikes, and the World Endurance Championship’s prologue and season-opener in Lusail have been cancelled.
Qatar’s slot on the 2026 MotoGP calendar, scheduled for 10–12 April, is approaching, and CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has explained that the race in its current slot is in doubt, though a contingency plan is in place.
“Would it be possible to return on another date? Don’t worry. We always have a plan B,” Ezpeleta said on Wednesday at an Estrella Galicia 0.0 event in Madrid.
“We have to wait, I can’t say now that we’re not going. We’ve been talking to Qatar since Sunday, and we’ll make a decision. It’s unlikely that we’ll go to Qatar on April 12, but I can’t say that we won’t go.
“Go somewhere else? Definitely not,” he added. “Will it fit into the schedule? We’re really good at making schedules. We’ll know something soon, obviously. We’re waiting for them to tell us something. There’s still time.”
While speculative, July and August appear possible alternatives, with only three race weekends across the two months, although a replacement venue has been ruled out.
MotoGP next heads to Brazil on March 20–22 for its first race in the country since 2004, following Marco Bezzecchi’s grand prix win in Thailand, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta leading the championship.
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