Marc Marquez to go to Qatar at “latest possible time” after awkward press conference exchange

Marc Marquez will travel to Qatar for the MotoGP race in Lusail at the “latest possible time”, he says.

Marquez has a title chance at Qatar, the 20th and third-last MotoGP race of the season, after he won the Malaysian Grand Prix today.

But the Lusail race has been marred by controversy as MotoGP insists on racing there while riders try to avoid travelling to the Middle East nation due to the volatile and unpredictable conflict between the US and Israel, and Iran that has began in the region back in late February.

After the Malaysia race, Yamaha released a statement saying its teams and riders would not be travelling to Qatar for the race next week. MotoGP issued a counter-statement saying the Japanese brand could be subject to sporting penalties for not competing.

As for Marquez, he says he will travel to Qatar but not until the last minute, after the pre-race press conference will have taken place, and only in time for first practice on Friday.

“I go back to Spain and I will arrive in Qatar the latest time possible, Thursday evening,” Marc Marquez told TNT Sports after the Qatar race.

Marquez's comments to TNT came before the post-race press conference, where he chose to avoid answering a direct question about whether MotoGP should race in Qatar.

"I prefer to say nothing," he said.

Marquez is not the only rider who will not travel straight to Qatar. His brother, Alex Marquez, has confirmed he will miss the Lusail race to have surgery on his shoulder, while Pedro Acosta told TNT Sports he will go to Indonesia before travelling to Qatar.

"I'm going to Bali, chill a bit, and then let's see what's going on,” the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider told the British broadcaster.

Ducati Lenovo Team manager Davide Tardozzi also spoke to TNT Sports after the Malaysia race and insisted that all the assurances asked for by the riders have been secured.

“I am not concerned,” Tardozzi said after the Malaysian Grand Prix when asked – before Yamaha published its statement – about the Qatar situation.

“I know that the organisers told us that everything there is safe,” Tardozzi responded when asked what he knows about the situation with the riders’ meetings that have taken place this week and the implications of those on Qatar.

“Whatever the riders asked to Dorna, to Liberty, was provided by Carlos Ezpeleta that went to Qatar to manage all those things and in this moment we feel safe. 

“So, we go there because the Qatar community deserve this race.”

The former racer added that he is not aware of the details of the riders’ discussions.

“We don’t want to talk too much about that because what the riders discuss between them we do not know because it was a private conversation,” he said.

“In the end, we know that going there is safe, so we will do it.”

Tardozzi continued: “The riders are contracted by the team, so there is no meaning that the riders ask the organisers. 

“They need to pass through the teams and the organisers need to give those in [assurances] to the team, then we give to the riders. That’s the right procedure.”

Brivio: ‘We hope to race’

Trackhouse Aprilia team boss Davide Brivio was less absolute about racing in Lusail than Tardozzi, but the Italian says his team is “committed” to travelling to Qatar.

“We are committed to the MotoGP championship and the races on the calendar,” he said.

“The race is confirmed, so we are ready to go there. All our team [will] travel there, and we will go like a normal setup to fulfil our commitment. 

“We hope to have a race there, which is also a fantastic track, always good racing. So, nothing. 

“We go there and then we wait for the riders to show up.”