MotoGP Postpones Qatar Grand Prix Amid Middle East Conflict

MotoGP Reschedules Qatar Grand Prix to November 8 Amid Ongoing Conflict

The MotoGP governing body has announced that the Qatar Grand Prix, originally scheduled for April 10-12, will now take place on November 8 due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East. The Lusail International Circuit was set to host the fourth round of the 2026 championship from April 10-12 but has been rescheduled for November 8.

According to MotoGP, the revised date was chosen after extensive scenario planning and calendar analysis to minimize disruption to the wider MotoGP schedule. As a result, the Portuguese Grand Prix will now take place on November 22, and the season finale in Valencia will move to November 29.

The announcement comes amid concerns related to the Iran war, which has affected several countries in the region, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Formula One (F1) has also announced that its Grands Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not take place in April due to safety concerns.

In a statement, F1’s president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said that the decision was made with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and well-being of the community and colleagues firmly in mind. The FIA has also taken this decision, although it did not explicitly rule out rescheduling the races.

The MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix is now scheduled to take place on November 8, while the Brazilian and United States Grands Prix will still proceed as planned from March 20-22 and March 27-29, respectively.

Source: Al Jazeera