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Yamaha pulls out of Qatar MotoGP over ‘Middle East situation’

The Japanese manufacturer says it will not participate in next weekend's race, citing company-wide travel restrictions.

Yamaha pulls out of Qatar MotoGP over ‘Middle East situation’

Yamaha has decided not to take part in the upcoming Qatar MotoGP event, citing concerns over the "situation in the Middle East." The Japanese manufacturer has not provided specific reasons for its decision, stating that existing company-wide travel restrictions are still in place. Despite Yamaha's withdrawal, the MotoGP Group expressed disappointment, asserting that the team's absence also carries sporting implications.

The group acknowledged that the decision was based on a broader corporate policy restricting travel to the Middle East but disagreed with its lack of alignment with assurances provided to championship stakeholders. MotoGP, however, stated that there were no indications from safety advisers and Qatari organizers that would warrant a change in their plans for the event.

The withdrawal of Yamaha, which includes riders like France's 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo, leaves the MotoGP grid with one fewer team.

Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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