Qatar GP on the brink: What MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta says

– The staging of the Qatar GP is on the brink. MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has admitted that holding it on April 12 under current circumstances is difficult. A cancellation has not yet been decided, but much points to a possible postponement of the fourth race of the season.

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The conflict in the Middle East is affecting several international sporting events. For example, the start of the WEC endurance world championship in Qatar has already been officially postponed due to the Iran war. There are also doubts about holding the Formula 1 races in Bahrain (April 12) and Saudi Arabia (April 19).

In MotoGP, the Qatar Grand Prix scheduled for April 10 to 12 is up for debate. While the season started last weekend in Thailand, intensive talks are taking place in the background with the local authorities.

Qatar cancellation possible – postponement to later

Managing Director Ezpeleta recently made it clear at an Estrella Galicia press conference in Madrid that all options are being examined, but nothing will be rushed.

“We always have a Plan B. We have to wait and see. I can’t say at the moment that we won’t race. Since what happened on Sunday, we have been in contact with Qatar, and we will make a decision,” he assures.

“It is difficult for us to go to Qatar on April 12, but I cannot say that we will not race.” Should a cancellation occur, Ezpeleta categorically rules out a replacement race at another venue.

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“Going to another place? Certainly not. Will it fit into the calendar later? We are very good at making calendars. We will know more soon. We are waiting for them to tell us something. There is still time.” So if the race cannot take place as planned, it will be made up for later.

Marquez: “A Grand Prix becomes secondary there”

Meanwhile, thoughtful tones are coming from the paddock. Asked about the possible suspension of the Qatar Grand Prix, Marc Marquez said at the same press conference: “Nothing has been discussed yet, but when such things happen in the world, holding a Grand Prix is secondary.”

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No final decision has been made yet. Those responsible are waiting for further information from Qatar before making a binding statement. Behind the scenes, work is likely already underway on possible scenarios to adjust the tight racing calendar accordingly.

Ezpeleta emphasizes the series’ organizational experience regarding schedule changes. At the same time, he signals that safety and predictability are the top priorities.

Season opener top both sportingly and organizationally

While the situation around Qatar remains tense, Ezpeleta draws a consistently positive conclusion to the season opener in Thailand: “Exceptional. It couldn’t have gone better. There was a record crowd in Thailand, and despite the crashes, no one was injured,” he says, pleased with the successful start.

Ezpeleta does not want to comment publicly on the discussion about recent sanctions in the paddock: “I don’t comment on what the race stewards do. That is my duty. At the end of the year, we talk to the FIM and tell them what we think. I’m not saying whether the end the other day was good or not.”

The CEO also remains consistent on the subject of track safety. With a view to moving the Australian Grand Prix from Phillip Island to Adelaide from 2027, he assures: “It is a safe race, not a street race. We are going to a fantastic place, in the middle of a city, but with all the safety features.”

“I hope that we will no longer have problems with wind and rain. Now it’s easy to say that Phillip Island is a very beautiful track, which it is. But safety comes first. Suzuka is beautiful, and because it’s not safe, we don’t go there. Safety comes first,” says Ezpeleta.

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