MotoGP set to cancel Qatar GP with no replacement
MotoGP looks set to cancel the already-rescheduled 2026 Qatar Grand Prix, according to The Race’s sources in the paddock, amid ongoing uncertainty about the regional geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
And, despite paddock rumours suggesting that an alternative was set to be added to the calendar to replace the Lusail race, with a double-header in Sepang touted as the most likely option, it seems that plan has now been shelved and that the championship will instead drop one of its 22 rounds.
The Qatar race was originally set to take place in April, but was moved to November following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States, with the US air base at Al Udeid (only 25 miles from the circuit) the site of repeated Iranian missile attacks in the early stages of the conflict.
That move triggered a reshuffling of the final rounds of the season, with the new Qatar date directly after the Malaysian Grand Prix pushing back the final two rounds in Portugal and Valencia by a week.
But, with tensions in the region still high amid the US-Iranian stalemate, The Race’s sources in the MotoGP paddock are suggesting that the race will be officially cancelled in the coming days with no replacement added.
There have been some suggestions in recent days that the race would, in fact, go ahead, with F1 boss Stefano Domenicali "confirming" at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix that that series (also owned by Liberty Media) would be able to finish their year as planned in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
However, this is thought to have been a matter of a choice of words rather than intended messaging - and a decision on what will happen with those F1 races is still pending.
The expected cancellation of the Qatar GP would be a significant development for the MotoGP title race given it would mean 37 points fewer on offer.
Right now, Aprilia rider Jorge Martin maintains a 31-point lead over team-mate Marco Bezzecchi. Only 10 points cover Bezzecchi and Ai Ogura, Marc Marquez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio - and Marquez in particular counts Qatar (and mooted replacement Sepang) among his weaker circuits.
The conflict has also impacted the announcement of the 2027 MotoGP calendar, according to the series’ new deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta, who told media at this weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix that MotoGP can’t yet finalise next year’s dates.
“The 2027 calendar is nearly set,” he confirmed. “We're obviously waiting to see how the situation in the Middle East evolves, because that would also affect next year's calendar.
“We're probably a couple or three weeks away from being able to announce.”
