Yamaha has informed MotoGP it will not take part in the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix, citing “company-wide travel restrictions”, and now faces penalties from the championship.
The manufacturer has issued a press release revealing it communicated to the series that it does not plan to run its four bikes in the upcoming race weekend at the Lusail track, amid conflict in the region and fears of an escalation in the ongoing USA-Iran war.
“Following its latest assessment of the situation in the Middle East, Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions,” the statement read.
“As a result, Yamaha has informed MotoGP Group about its decision not to participate in the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix.
“This decision reflects Yamaha’s assessment of the information currently available and is independent of the measures implemented by MotoGP Group and the event organizer.
“Yamaha remains fully committed to MotoGP and looks forward to returning to competition at the Portuguese Grand Prix.”
MotoGP responded with a statement saying it felt it had given the paddock adequate reassurances over Qatar, and that Yamaha was now in line for penalties for breaking its contractual commitments.
“MotoGP is disappointed by Yamaha’s decision not to participate in the Qatar Grand Prix,” it read.
“While we recognise the team is subject to a broader corporate policy restricting travel to the Middle East, we do not believe this decision reflects the extensive assurances provided to all championship stakeholders.
“Following consultation with the State of Qatar, Lusail International Circuit, independent safety advisers and MotoGP’s own ongoing risk assessment process, MotoGP has not received any information that would warrant a change to the current plans for the event.
“We communicated that position, together with the latest available information, to all manufacturers and teams today and welcome the confirmation from the remainder of the grid that they will compete in Qatar, and we thank them for that commitment.
“In addition to the contractual implications of Yamaha’s decision for its agreements with MotoGP and IRTA, Yamaha’s non-participation also carries sporting implications, with any sporting consequences to be managed by the FIM in accordance with the championship regulations.”
Yamaha’s decision covers both its factory team and satellite squad Pramac.
Both of the current Pramac riders – Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez, the Yamaha tester riding in relief of the injured Toprak Razgatlioglu – are Yamaha employees.
The Race contacted MotoGP’s other four factories for their stances in light of Yamaha’s decision.
Honda said it was committed to going and “have been working closely with the riders and MotoGPSEG to ensure the weekend goes ahead”.
The Race understands that Aprilia and Ducati also plan to travel to Qatar as scheduled, with MotoGP’s statement indicating KTM will do likewise.
There could be further grid depletions for medical reasons along with the loss of the four Yamahas, with Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez already withdrawing to have surgery and Aprilia pair Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez both dropping out of this weekend’s Malaysian GP mid-event.
Miller outburst brings riders’ views into the open
Shortly before Yamaha’s official announcement, Miller declared the MotoGP field “do not want to go” to Qatar but feared the series can force their hands.
Miller’s claims have brought the simmering behind-the-scenes tension over the Lusail weekend out in the open, with riders increasingly united in trying to convince MotoGP to abandon the Qatar date due to conflict in the region and, in particular, fear of an impending escalation in the USA/Israel-Iran war.
The Race understands extensive talks and written communications between the various stakeholders in the championship have taken place over the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend at Sepang, and that as it stands MotoGP intends to proceed with the weekend as normal given the reassurances it has received from Qatar itself.
But Miller confirmed after the Sepang race that there is nearly-total consensus up and down the MotoGP grid. “I don’t want to go,” he said when asked about Qatar by The Race. “Like everybody. There’s 19 of us that don’t want to go there.
“I don’t think we should be racing in those sort of conditions. We’ve made our opinion very clear on that. Let’s see what the decision is – but I think as riders we’ve united and done the best we can and threatened the best we can, with what ammunition we have. Not only for us as riders but also other people in the championship.”
Miller indicated his primary concern was that MotoGP was staging a “global event” next to conflict, with a clear, publicly-available timetable of activities.
“I understand they are safe at the moment, and I love Qatar, but the surrounding areas is the issue that we have. Unfortunately, the neighbours are having some issues at the minute, and there’s a lot of uncertainty there, and to go and put on a global event…we’re not hiding the fact that we ride at 10.55. Not hiding our location and/or time of day we will be at said location.
“If anyone does want to make an example, do whatever they do… yeah, like I said… I don’t want to go. In my mind I’m still not going. We made our voices very clear. Wait and see what happens.”
Certain assurances have been made to the grid that were sought by the riders. This, The Race understands, includes additional financial provisions from Qatar itself in case of events outside of the scope of existing insurance policies.
Miller welcomed this, and former team-mate Pecco Bagnaia alluded to it, too. “It’s clear that we received almost everything we asked – so this is good,” Bagnaia said. “There are some things pending that we will never receive, that we asked, but it is what it is.”
Miller was the only rider to go as far as indicating they wanted to skip the race.
“The situation there, we know that it’s not a very good one. I think if we go there, it’s probably not because we want,” said Honda’s Joan Mir. “It’s a little bit what I feel.”
And Miller hinted at ways MotoGP could force riders to compete.
“They can attack us at any angle,” he said. “Financially, on the sporting side with our licenses – and so on and so forth.
“And also to the team. Paolo [Campinoti, Pramac boss] is a great friend of mine. Do I want to hurt him and his team? No, not at all. 100% no.
“Like I said, I love Qatar. I don’t think it’d be wise be at a global event at said location. We’ve been pretty quiet about it until now but the fact of the matter is everyone keeps asking me what the f**k we’re doing. It’s not up to us at the end of the day. We’re a number in this game, unfortunately, and there’s 19-20 of us that are pretty adamant we don’t want to go.”
