MotoGP's new deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta says the championship is "trying to be able to go to Qatar" in November, but reports of it being cancelled are mounting. The Qatar Grand Prix was originally due to take place in April as the fourth stop of the 2026 calendar, but it was moved to early November due to the war in the Middle East between the United States and Iran.
With no end in sight to the conflict, doubt has mounted in recent weeks that MotoGP would be able to race in Qatar at all this year. The FIA World Endurance Championship cancelled its postponed Qatar and Bahrain rounds and replaced them with European events, while Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix is being staged in Malaysia.
Qatar Decision Imminent
Ezpeleta, who was recently promoted to the role of deputy CEO, spoke to the media at the Aragon Grand Prix on Friday and was asked about the calendar. "So, 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."
He added that a decision on Qatar would be announced within two to three weeks. "We have such an incredible season, and the outcome of the story is so important on all sides that we want to really give the teams and the riders sufficient headspace to think about how they're managing the season. It's not the same managing for six events or seven, so we want to be able to make that decision as soon as possible—not that much on the operational side, but especially on the sporting area of the business," he said.
On Qatar, Spanish media reported him as saying: "We continue working and talking with the Qatari government. We know that several events have been confirmed in the region in recent days and we continue trying to be able to go to Qatar, a decision we want made before the start of the Asian tour [of races in October]."
According to The Race, MotoGP is set to cancel the Qatar Grand Prix without a replacement, bringing the calendar down to 21 races. Contractually, this would cause no problems for MotoGP with its broadcast partners. To accommodate the rescheduled Qatar GP, the Portuguese and Valencia races were pushed back a week. It's unclear if these will be brought forward again, something Pecco Bagnaia called for when Crash asked him about it at the British Grand Prix earlier this month.
The loss of the Qatar race would clearly impact MotoGP logistically and commercially. However, safety and calendar certainty are top priorities. Fans are now waiting for the official decision that will shape the final part of the 2026 season.
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