MotoGP riders “pushing everyone” for new “group” amid Qatar discussions
Enea Bastianini thinks MotoGP’s Qatar situation is “uniting” riders to discuss about broader subjects, and suggests a riders’ association could be in the future.
MotoGP’s insistence on racing in Qatar despite the geopolitical crisis that has been taking place in the Middle East since February is “uniting” the series’ riders, Enea Bastianini says.
MotoGP is set to head to Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit next week for the 20th round of the 2026 season.
At the same time, there are signs pointing towards a possible resumption of attacks on Iran from US and Israeli forces. When the war started in February, strikes on Iran prompted the country to launch counter-attacks on western-aligned regional neighbours such as Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
Heading to Qatar would clearly present risks for personnel in attendance, but, with only a few days before the paddock has to head there, there is limited time for those who wish to find an alternative solution to do so.
“It's very complicated to talk about Qatar because we don't have control of the whole situation, we know that,” Enea Bastianini said, as reported by GPOne, on Thursday at Sepang, eight days before practice is due to take place in Lusail.
“We are still discussing with the teams and also with Dorna and Carmelo Ezpeleta, because we need to have a clear picture of the situation.”
He added: “We have to have something concrete by the end of the weekend, because next week we will already be there.”
The Qatar situation has also prompted broader discussions between the riders, Bastianini says.
“Let's say that we are trying to push for guarantees [on Qatar],” the Tech3 KTM rider explained.
“But we're also trying to figure out what to do for our future, so we're not just talking about Qatar.
“We have just started, everything is still quite fresh and we have to work on it.
“Certainly this situation in Qatar is uniting us even more on this issue and I believe it can create a good foundation for the future.”
It’s a “foundation” that could lead to a more formal organisation being formed, Bastianini hopes.
“In my opinion all the riders have understood that we can benefit from this,” he said.
“This is why we are pushing everyone to return to having a group and above all to have more say when certain decisions are made.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
