MotoGP has another Qatar GP issue on its hands after secret rider vote

MotoGP riders held a secret meeting at the Australian Grand Prix, with the majority voting against racing in Qatar next month. 

This was reported by The Race, with the secret meeting said to have taken place on Thursday. 

The meeting involved every rider on the grid, with two-thirds of those not in favour of racing at the Lusail International Circuit on November 8.

This comes off the back of MotoGP insisting that the Qatar Grand Prix will go ahead, despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East between the US and Israel, against Iran. 

It’s unclear whether the meeting will have any bearing on MotoGP’s decision to stage the Qatar Grand Prix, although you would expect that it will, or at least it should.

If the riders do not want to take part due to safety concerns, a decision that’s likely to be shared by their teams, then you would expect MotoGP to take that into consideration.

MotoGP is not the only major championship that’s maintained its stance on racing in Qatar, with F1 following suit.

However, numerous motorsport championships have already cancelled planned events in the Middle East and moved them elsewhere because of the uncertainty.

Just this week, the Lusail circuit confirmed it was in the final stages of its preparations for the MotoGP and F1 events.

But the conflict in the region has continued to escalate in recent weeks, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels launching attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Taking the MotoGP paddock, superstar racers, TV crews and all the other people involved into what is a conflict hotspot could effectively make anyone at the event a target.

Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown