Podcast: Will MotoGP ever be the same again after Qatar chaos?

Marc Marquez has a chance to win the MotoGP world title in Qatar this weekend, but the drama unfolding over the race stands to overshadow this.

MotoGP is pressing ahead with its plans to race at the Qatar Grand Prix, despite 19 of the 22 riders signing a letter to the championship expressing that they don’t want to go.

The standoff between the paddock and the championship escalated intensely over the Malaysian Grand Prix.

MotoGP is threatening teams and riders with sanctions for missing the Qatar Grand Prix, with Yamaha then announcing on Sunday that it was not sending its teams to the Middle East.

The ramifications of this stance from Yamaha won’t be known for a while, but it’s a move that has angered MotoGP.

Despite Yamaha’s strong statement, MotoGP is not moving from its position over the race, having secured guarantees from the Qatari government.

But this is a situation in a constant state of flux, with no one certain what will happen between now and the opening practice session on Friday.

MotoGP has much to gain by hosting the Qatar Grand Prix, but even more to lose if things go wrong.

Should the war between the US and Iran restart in the coming days, as has been warned, the Qatar airspace could be closed, and the paddock could get trapped.

That would almost certainly cancel the final two rounds of the season in Portugal and Valencia.

On the latest Crash MotoGP Podcast, Amy Reynolds is joined by Peter McLaren and Lewis Duncan to discuss the Qatar situation.

They look at the power struggle that has enveloped MotoGP, as the championship’s power is severely tested by the riders largely uniting and Yamaha’s decision to breach its contract to skip Qatar.

Can the championship ever go back to normal, and what might happen next?

Beyond the Qatar chaos, the trio also discuss Marc Marquez’s latest victory and how this season ranks as he nears an eighth world title.