Toto Wolff takes swipe at MotoGP riders ‘who know nothing’ over Qatar standoff

Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff has criticised MotoGP riders “who geopolitically know nothing” for their standoff on racing in Qatar and the media frenzy that created.

MotoGP’s Qatar Grand Prix is going ahead this weekend, despite 19 of the 22 riders on the grid signing a letter last week stating they will not race if the championship did not personally take responsibility for anything that may go wrong.

It’s thought those demands were not met, with MotoGP threatening sanctions on riders - including race bans - who did not go Qatar.

Yamaha, however, withdrew its four riders as it would not be moved from the company’s travel policy on the Middle East.

Toto Wolff backs F1 over its plans for Qatar, Abu Dhabi races

F1 is due to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the end of November and the first week of December, though a back-up plan to host a round in Imola is ready should those Middle East events not happen.

A decision on that is expected in the coming days.

Wolff has backed F1 and the FIA over its push to race in the region, while taking aim at MotoGP riders, when asked about it on Friday at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

“Stefano [Domenicali] and Mohammed [Ben Sulayem] have been pretty clear about the situation, that Formula 1 follows what the international guidelines are, whether there’s travel restrictions, airlines not flying, any warnings in the region, the kind of feedback that local governments are making,” he said.

“So not only the promoters, but what the local governments are making, and this is what you need to rely on in my opinion.

“And I’m fully with that. I think that if riders stand up, who geopolitically know nothing about what’s going on, but have the audience that listens, I think that is something that creates media value.

“But I would have done the same as the MotoGP management has done.

“You want to ride or drive, go. If you don’t want to, don’t go, as simple as that. And everybody can take their personal decisions on that, and I respect that.”

Wolff is not correct when he states that MotoGP Group’s position was to leave the decision to teams and riders.

Yamaha is set to face sanctions for breaching its contract with the championship, with a hefty financial penalty likely, as well as a potential loss of points in the constructors’ standings.

F1 drivers have also reportedly been forbidden from airing their concerns about the Middle East.

Wolff won’t force anyone at Mercedes to go to Middle East

Several MotoGP teams have already confirmed that there will be team members who didn’t make the trip to Qatar.

Wolff says no one at Mercedes has raised that possibility with him, but would respect their wishes if they did.

“Of course, you’ve got to be wary of what’s happening in the next few days, a few weeks, and Stefano has the finger on the pulse to monitor that,” he added.

“If things were to get more dangerous and we would get that feedback, then he’s going to be the first one, together with Mohammed, to protect the people that were meant to travel.

“And so that’s why I’m following their guidance, for what I’m hearing.

“Internally, it it hasn’t been raised, hasn’t been a topic, but also there, if someone doesn’t feel comfortable, he or she doesn’t feel comfortable travelling, then that’s something that I would always respect, and maybe that’s another opportunity to give somebody else a chance.

“It wouldn’t change anything for the relationship. I’ve always respected that some people didn’t want to go to certain Grand Prix, and that’s how I see it at the moment.”