Yamaha Withdraws From Qatar MotoGP, Citing Company-Wide Middle East Travel Restrictions

Yamaha will not race in next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. The Japanese manufacturer announced the decision on Sunday, Nov. 1, shortly after the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.

The round is scheduled for Nov. 6-8 at the Lusail International Circuit outside Doha. The withdrawal covers both the factory Yamaha team and its satellite squad, Pramac.

What Yamaha said

"Following its latest assessment of the situation in the Middle East, Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions," the company said in a statement.

Yamaha said the decision "reflects Yamaha's assessment of the information currently available and is independent of the measures implemented by MotoGP Group and the event organizer." It added that it "remains fully committed to MotoGP" and looks forward to returning to competition at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins ride for the factory team. Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez ride for Pramac. Fernandez is filling in for the injured Toprak Razgatlioglu. All four are Yamaha employees, and all four are expected to miss the race.

The Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team is expected to attend the Qatar round, according to The Race. It is reportedly fighting for the Moto2 title, with Izan Guevara 3.5 points behind leader Manu Gonzalez.

MotoGP pushes back

MotoGP Group said it was "disappointed." It said it recognises Yamaha is bound by a corporate travel policy, but does not believe the decision "reflects the extensive assurances provided to all championship stakeholders."

The series says it consulted the State of Qatar, Lusail International Circuit, independent safety advisers and its own risk assessment process. It says none of that produced "any information that would warrant a change to the current plans."

Deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta traveled to Qatar on Thursday to speak with authorities directly, according to Motorsport.com.

MotoGP said the rest of the grid has confirmed it will compete. Grande Prêmio lists Ducati, Aprilia, KTM and Honda as committed.

The series also pointed to "contractual implications" under Yamaha's agreements with MotoGP and the teams' association IRTA. It said "any sporting consequences" would be handled by the FIM under the championship regulations.

No penalty has been formally imposed on Yamaha or its riders. The FIM has not commented.

The backdrop

The war began on Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran retaliated against, among others, Gulf countries allied with Washington. Qatar was subject to Iranian attacks from February to April, according to AFP.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war have been punctuated by repeated U.S. and Israeli threats to resume bombardment of Iran. On Friday, a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was hit by unidentified objects in the Gulf.

Japan's government currently advises its citizens to "refrain from non-essential travel" to Qatar, according to Crash.net. Motorsport.com reports that most countries are advising their nationals against traveling there.

Motorsport.com also reports that Yamaha has a clause in its internal contracts allowing it to bar employees from traveling to war-affected regions.

The round was originally set for April, and Grande Prêmio reports it was postponed because of regional instability. Formula 1 canceled its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in March over the same war, according to the Associated Press. F1 still lists Qatar on Nov. 29 and Abu Dhabi on Dec. 6.

The riders' standoff

The split is not only between a manufacturer and the series. Miller said after Sepang that 19 of the 22 MotoGP riders do not want to go.

"I have no desire to go," Miller said. "Just like everyone else... I do not think we should ride in those conditions. We have been very clear about our position."

Grande Prêmio reports that riders have asked for more assurances on evacuation procedures, insurance coverage and the possibility of airspace closures. Multiple outlets reported Sunday morning that a signed letter from most riders was sent to MotoGP Group in a final push to cancel the race, according to Crash.net.

Motorsport.com reported this week that riders who skip Qatar could face financial or sporting penalties, including a possible ban from the Portuguese and Valencia rounds. Crash.net says how enforceable that threat is remains a point of debate, since the FIM has not spoken.

MotoGP has said it is not changing course. Miller, speaking before Yamaha's announcement, said the championship had done nothing to hide its willingness "if anyone does want to make an example."

What is at stake on the track

Yamaha is last in the constructors' standings with 105 points. Ducati leads with 537, according to the Associated Press.

Marc Marquez, Ducati's reigning seven-time world champion, won at Sepang and could clinch this year's title in Doha. Three races remain in the season, starting with Qatar. Without Yamaha, the title could be decided on a grid missing four riders.

It is not yet clear how far MotoGP and the FIM will go. Yamaha has said it will be back in Portugal the following weekend. Whether the FIM bars its riders from that race or issues a lesser penalty has not been announced.