Where injured MotoGP riders stand ahead of Qatar GP
The MotoGP grid has arrived in Qatar ahead of the long-doubted Qatar Grand Prix weekend - but how many riders will actually take to the track in the premier class?
There are no wildcards entered for the weekend, and the Yamaha roster has withdrawn in full, limiting the grid to a maximum of 18 riders already.
There are, beyond this, significant injury questions about a handful of riders.
However, as it stands everyone whose participation has been declared has already made it to the Lusail track for Thursday's media day.
Ducati rider Pecco Bagnaia summed up the situation: "It's true that I was a bit worried, I cannot hide, about arriving here. But I decided to trust fully [series promoter] Dorna, [race] organisers, [independent teams' association] IRTA and the [Qatar] government. I think they are working for our safety and they have provided us almost everything we asked. We need to work together, it's better to work together.
"I feel that we cannot be afraid of a bombardment here - the only fear we can have is to get stuck here if they close the airport, but I think and I trust them and I want to continue like this."
But what's going on with the injured riders?
Of those who did not race last time out at Sepang, Fermin Aldeguer and Raul Fernandez have been passed fit, while Jorge Martin remains to be reviewed after the opening session.
Martin, who broke his wrist at Phillip Island two weeks ago and is only not at home recovering because he is trying to hang on to faint championship hopes, withdrew last time out at Sepang after three practice sessions.
Having returned to Spain for further treatment before going to Qatar, he is now convinced he is in better shape - and clarified he was now able to actually brush his teeth, which wasn't the case last week.
"The bone is still broken but the feeling is much better," he confirmed. "So I will try to ride with everything I can, try to manage the weekend in a good way. I don't know how much it will limit my riding - but for sure it's much better than in Malaysia."
The championship is still a consideration, Martin said, but "only Marc [Marquez] can lose it or win it, it's not in my control at the moment".
Fernandez was declared unfit after just one session at Sepang, continuing to manage a fracture on his right index finger.
He says it is safer for him to ride now, with no risk of aggravating the injury - but he is a bit disoriented, having spent the whole week travelling or carrying out medical procedures.
The Race has seen test rider Lorenzo Savadori in attendance in Qatar, so either Martin or Fernandez could potentially be subbed for at short notice.
Aldeguer had broken his right hand at Mandalika (by slapping his hand on the ground mid-crash, according to paddock sources) and admits he is "not completely" ready and his hand needs more time.
A mid-weekend withdrawal is thus not implausible, though Aldeguer also said that the leg injury he's been carrying all season was improved by the time off - and that he got positive signs from riding a Ducati Panigale on a small track in preparation.
Of riders who did not have pending medical examinations, Maverick Vinales - whose limitation remains pain and inflammation in his shoulder from the long-standing injury - feels "not so bad" but expects a challenging weekend in terms of stamina.
Vinales is ill-suited to doing a triple-header right now and says the high-grip nature of the Lusail track won't offer much respite in terms of the physical exertion.
There are no significant doubts over anyone else.
Alex Marquez (shoulder surgery) and Joan Mir (vision issues) are being substituted by Iker Lecuona and Jake Dixon respectively. Both stand-ins are keen on the opportunity, though while Lecuona is coming off of a lot of riding in recent weeks and had admitted at Sepang his energy was waning, Dixon is on the other side of the spectrum.
The Honda rider had to skip a chunk of his first World Superbike season due to a February left wrist fracture, so was raring to get some more racing in at the end of the year, with the WSBK season already over.
Mir's regular team-mate Luca Marini was still fighting the after-effects of a virus at Sepang - having been sidelined at Phillip Island - but says he is "more or less at 100%" now.
