The Qatar MotoGP round is hanging by a thread, with the championship’s newly-appointed deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta insisting Dorna is “still trying to be able to go to Qatar” in November even as reports of an outright cancellation mount.
The race was originally round four of the season in April, before being pushed back to 8 November because of the conflict in the Middle East between the United States and Iran. That war has since forced comparable calls elsewhere: the World Endurance Championship scrapped its postponed Qatar and Bahrain rounds, while Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix has moved to Malaysia.
Why the Qatar MotoGP decision cannot wait
Speaking at MotorLand on Friday, Ezpeleta said talks with the Qatari authorities were ongoing. “We know that several events in the region have been confirmed in recent days and, from our side, we are still trying to be able to go to Qatar,” he said, adding that a decision would come “before we start the Asian tour” — which opens with the Japanese Grand Prix on 4 October.
His urgency is sporting rather than logistical. “It’s not the same managing for six events or seven, so we want to be able to make that decision as soon as possible,” Ezpeleta told Crash.net. Motorsport.com reports that some sources expect the round to be dropped with no replacement venue, cutting the 2026 calendar to 21 rounds.
That matters to a title fight that is still wide open. Jorge Martin arrived at this weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix, round 13 of 22, with a 31-point lead over Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi and 40 over defending champion Marc Marquez. Losing a sprint and a grand prix would strip 37 points from the board — and one more chance from everyone chasing.
