Qatar Moto GP to go ahead despite regional tensions

MotoGP is pressing ahead with November's Qatar Grand Prix despite security concerns sweeping the region, with preparations continuing at the Lusail International Circuit, the Reuters news agency reports.

A MotoGP source told Reuters the race remains on the calendar and that the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved was the first priority. The event was originally scheduled for April but was postponed to November 6-8 because of the regional conflict, and is set to be the 20th round of the 22-race season.

The decision stands in contrast to a wave of cancellations across the border in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi International golf tournament, the Urban Cycling World Championships and the FIFAe World Cup were all scrapped earlier this month after a strike on Riyadh's international airport killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.

The US State Department has also ordered a number of diplomats and family members to depart from its missions in Saudi Arabia, and plans to withdraw family members from a number of other US missions in the region.

Formula One, meanwhile, still plans to hold the season's final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi as scheduled, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem saying the situation in the region was currently "fine".

The Qatar round carries major title implications. Aprilia's Jorge Martin holds a two-point lead over Ducati's reigning champion Marc Marquez after 17 rounds. Martin said he wanted to race at Lusail: "If the organisers decide we can go, it'll be because our safety is guaranteed."

The Qatar Grand Prix has been a near-constant fixture on the MotoGP calendar since its debut in 2004, with the only interruption coming in 2020 when it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.