VR46 to tell staff Qatar Grand Prix trip is voluntary
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 31, 2026
Qatar Grand Prix
VR46 will tell staff and riders that travel to the Qatar Grand Prix is voluntary, giving every employee a personal choice ahead of the Lusail race. The team plans to send an official email to everyone explaining the arrangement, and some staff members will stay home rather than make the trip to Qatar. No one will be forced to travel against their will. The move comes as the event has become controversial because of the conflict in the Middle East and the safety concerns that conflict has raised for riders and team personnel. The team is not treating attendance as a blanket requirement. It is making room for personal judgment.
Alessio Salucci
Alessio Salucci said the Qatar Grand Prix situation is not safe, and he made clear that he is standing by that view. He said the issue is very personal to him, and he does not see it as something that can be reduced to a simple sporting call. He said there are things that go beyond sport and that life includes more than work. That position explains why the team is leaving attendance up to each person. The team’s plan is not built around pressure. It is built around consent. That approach reflects Salucci’s belief that riders and staff should decide on their own whether they want to travel, especially when the surrounding situation has raised concerns about safety. His comments also show that, for him, the issue is larger than logistics or competition. It is personal, and he is not shifting from that view.
MotoGP criticism
MotoGP has faced criticism for going ahead with the Lusail race despite the conflict in the Middle East and travel warnings from several countries. That criticism has put more attention on how teams handle the trip. VR46’s decision to make attendance voluntary fits into that wider backdrop. It gives employees and riders a clear choice at a moment when the risks are being discussed openly. With the race still on the schedule, VR46 has drawn a line that puts individual judgment first and leaves the final decision with each person.
