There's a major shock brewing in the MotoGP paddock: the 2026 MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix is reportedly set to be cancelled, with no replacement race on the cards. According to sources cited by The Race, the decision comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The race at Lusail was originally scheduled for April, but was moved to November after hostilities broke out between Iran and the United States. The Al Udeid US air base, just 25 miles from the circuit, was the target of repeated Iranian missile attacks in the early stages of the conflict. That forced MotoGP to reshuffle the final rounds, placing Qatar right after the Malaysian Grand Prix and pushing the last two rounds in Portugal and Valencia back by a week.
But with the region still on edge, The Race's sources suggest the race will be officially axed in the coming days, with no replacement added. There were paddock rumours of a Sepang double-header as a substitute, but that plan appears to have been shelved, meaning the championship will lose one of its 22 rounds.
This comes after F1 boss Stefano Domenicali "confirmed" that his series would still race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. However, that's thought to be a matter of wording rather than a definitive statement, and a final decision on those F1 races is still pending.
The cancellation would have a significant impact on the title fight, as it removes 37 points from the table. Jorge Martin currently leads by 31 points over teammate Marco Bezzecchi, but only 10 points separate Bezzecchi from Ai Ogura, Marc Marquez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio. For Marquez, Qatar and Sepang are not among his strongest circuits, so the cancellation could be a silver lining.
The conflict is also delaying the 2027 MotoGP calendar announcement. New deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta told media at the Aragon Grand Prix that next year's dates can't be finalised yet. "The 2027 calendar is nearly set," he said. "We're obviously waiting to see how the situation in the Middle East evolves, because that would also affect next year's calendar. We're probably a couple or three weeks away from being able to announce."
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