MotoGP will not cancel its Qatar Grand Prix due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, and has instead elected to change its calendar to slot it in later this year.
Since joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February plunged the Middle East into conflict, the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix has been in doubt.
Due to take place on the weekend of 10-12 April, confirmation from Formula 1 on Saturday night that its Bahrain Grand Prix on the same date has been cancelled made the same fate likely for MotoGP’s Lusail round.
However, MotoGP has now confirmed that it has postponed the race, rather than cancelling it outright, to the weekend of 8 November.
As such, MotoGP has been forced into a major calendar reshuffle, which will see the season end later than planned.
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Qatar will now form the back-end of a triple-header with Australia and Malaysia.
The Portuguese Grand Prix has now been moved back to the weekend of 22 November, with the Valencia finale now on 29 November.
This means the post-race Valencia test, which will mark the public debut of the new 850cc machines, will likely run on Tuesday 1 December.
MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said: “This decision was taken with great care and in full coordination with our partners in Qatar and across the paddock.
“Our priority is always the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in MotoGP, as well as ensuring that every grand prix is delivered to the highest possible standard.
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“We also recognise the importance of providing clarity for our fans as early as possible, and ticket holders will be given the opportunity to rollover their tickets to the next event.
“I would also like to thank our partners in Portimao and Valencia for their collaboration and flexibility in helping us deliver a smooth transition to the revised calendar.
“We are confident that the updated schedule will allow us to preserve the quality of the championship while offering fans an exceptional season of racing.”
Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, President of the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation and Lusail International Circuit (LIC), added: “The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Lusail International Circuit (LIC) respect and support the decision of the MotoGP Sport and Entertainment Group to postpone the MotoGP Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar to November 6–8, 2026.
“We sincerely thank our fans, teams and partners for their understanding and ongoing support, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Lusail International Circuit.”
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