MotoGP says FIM must decide Qatar Grand Prix punishment
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 10, 2026
Qatar decision concerns
MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta said the championship exposed itself unnecessarily by keeping the Qatar Grand Prix on the calendar despite security concerns. He said MotoGP had maximum guarantees from Qatar’s government, contingency plans in place and tightened security checks at the Lusail circuit. The race still went ahead without safety incidents, but Ezpeleta’s comments framed the decision as a risk the series did not need to take.
Communication and tensions
Ezpeleta said MotoGP could have communicated better with teams and riders and needed to improve its relationships with them. He said the Qatar Grand Prix created weeks of tension, that many riders resisted the event and that the Qatar race was more controversial than other sports held in the region. MotoGP said it would review what went wrong in how the decision and the risks were explained before the race.
Yamaha and sanctions
Yamaha did not send employees to the Qatar Grand Prix and withdrew because of its internal travel policy for the Middle East amid uncertainty over the Iran war. The grid had no Yamaha riders. MotoGP said it would speak with Yamaha before deciding on any response to the manufacturer’s decision to skip the race. Ezpeleta said MotoGP’s relationship with Yamaha was purely commercial and declined to discuss any punishment for the company. He said any sporting punishment would be up to the FIM, and the FIM had not said what penalties, if any, could be applied. MotoGP had threatened sanctions for teams and riders who did not race.
