Yamaha pulls out of Qatar MotoGP over 'Middle East situation'

Yamaha has announced it will not participate in next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, citing the ongoing situation in the Middle East. According to the New Straits Times, the manufacturer issued this statement during the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, noting that an assessment of the situation did not provide sufficient grounds to change existing company-wide travel restrictions.

The decision means the Monster Energy Yamaha duo of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins, as well as Prima Pramac Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez, will not travel to Qatar.

The Winnipeg Free Press reported that Yamaha cited safety concerns in the Middle East for the decision. Motorsport.com stated that Yamaha is enforcing a travel ban following a failed attempt by riders and teams to call off the race on Sunday afternoon, noting that the company has internal contract clauses allowing it to prevent employees from traveling to war-effect regions.

The MotoGP Group expressed disappointment regarding Yamaha's decision, stating that while they recognize the team is subject to a broader corporate policy, they do not believe the decision reflects the extensive assurances provided to stakeholders. The Malay Mail reported that MotoGP indicated talks with Qatari organizers and safety advisers had not flagged any reasons to change plans for the event.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, New Straits Times, Winnipeg Free Press, Malay Mail, Motorsport.com — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.