{"id":1345,"date":"2026-08-28T12:11:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T15:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=1345"},"modified":"2026-08-28T12:11:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T15:11:35","slug":"motogp-set-to-cancel-qatar-gp-without-replacement-amid-middle-east-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/motogp-set-to-cancel-qatar-gp-without-replacement-amid-middle-east-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"MotoGP set to cancel Qatar GP without replacement amid Middle East conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Definitive cancellation expected:<\/strong> <strong>MotoGP is expected to announce the cancellation of the Qatar GP<\/strong> in the coming days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No replacement race:<\/strong> <strong>A proposed second race at Sepang in Malaysia has been dropped<\/strong>, keeping the schedule at 21 completed rounds rather than adding an alternative venue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact on 2027 calendar:<\/strong> <strong>Deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta confirmed that 2027 planning is on hold<\/strong> until regional stability clarifies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>MotoGP<\/strong> is closing in on an official announcement to cancel the <strong>2026 Qatar Grand Prix<\/strong> due to ongoing geopolitical instability across the Middle East. Rather than seeking an emergency replacement venue, the championship is set to move forward with a reduced <strong>21-race schedule<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lusail event was originally scheduled for April as Round 4 of the 2026 campaign.<sup><\/sup> However, escalations involving the United States, Israel, and Iran\u2014coupled with security concerns regarding Lusail&#8217;s proximity to the Al Udeid air base\u2014forced organizers to postpone the race to November.<sup><\/sup> That rescheduling pushed the final rounds in Portugal and Valencia back by a week.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reports initially pointed to a double-header at Malaysia&#8217;s <strong>Sepang International Circuit<\/strong> to fill the void. However, paddock sources now confirm that the replacement plan has been abandoned.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020308065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Malaysia_D.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dorna and FIM are expected to finalize the cancellation before the Asian leg begins (Photo: MotoGP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking at the <strong>Aragon Grand Prix<\/strong>, newly appointed MotoGP Deputy CEO <strong>Carlos Ezpeleta<\/strong> emphasized the need to grant teams and riders clarity regarding the remaining points on offer.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;<strong>We are trying to be able to go to Qatar, a decision we want made before the start of the Asian tour,<\/strong>&#8221; Ezpeleta noted regarding ongoing discussions with local authorities.<sup><\/sup> &#8220;<strong>The 2027 calendar is nearly set, but we are waiting to see how the situation in the Middle East evolves, because that will also affect next year&#8217;s schedule.<\/strong>&#8220;<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The loss of the Qatar round removes 37 potential points from the championship fight, intensifying the title battle involving <strong>Jorge Mart\u00edn<\/strong>, <strong>Marco Bezzecchi<\/strong>, <strong>Francesco Bagnaia<\/strong>, and <strong>Marc M\u00e1rquez<\/strong>.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The update follows a busy Friday at MotorLand Arag\u00f3n, where <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/bezzecchi-edges-ducati-to-lead-intense-motogp-practice-in-aragon-with-new-lap-record\/&amp;authuser=3\">Marco Bezzecchi broke the all-time lap record to lead Friday practice<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/johann-zarco-cleared-for-motogp-return-at-aragon-gp-after-knee-injury\/&amp;authuser=3\">Johann Zarco successfully earned direct passage into Q2 upon his return<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/pirelli-mirrors-f1-and-introduces-color-coded-tires-for-motogp-testing-in-aragon\/&amp;authuser=3\">Pirelli introduced color-coded test tires for its 2027 compound evaluations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MotoGP resumes track action from <strong>August 28\u201330<\/strong> for the <strong>Aragon Grand Prix<\/strong>, the 13th round of the 2026 season. <strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/\">GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/a><\/strong> provides complete live coverage of every session across all categories. Follow all updates on our <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/news\/\">news page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">MotoGP 2026 World Championship Standings (Top 5)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Pos<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Driver<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Team<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Bike<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Points<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>1<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Jorge Mart\u00edn<\/strong><\/td><td>Aprilia Racing<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td><strong>240<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>2<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Marco Bezzecchi<\/strong><\/td><td>Aprilia Racing<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td><strong>219<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>3<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Francesco Bagnaia<\/strong><\/td><td>Ducati Lenovo Team<\/td><td>Ducati<\/td><td><strong>218<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>4<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Ai Ogura<\/strong><\/td><td>Trackhouse Racing<\/td><td>Aprilia<\/td><td><strong>203<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>5<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Marc M\u00e1rquez<\/strong><\/td><td>Ducati Lenovo Team<\/td><td>Ducati<\/td><td><strong>192<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions (FAQ)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Is the 2026 Qatar MotoGP official canceled?<sup><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While an official press release is expected in the coming days, reports confirm MotoGP is finalizing the cancellation of the Qatar GP due to Middle East security concerns.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Will there be a replacement race for the Qatar GP?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No.<sup><\/sup> Plans for a substitute event\u2014such as a double-header at Sepang\u2014have been dropped, reducing the season total to 21 races.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Does the Qatar cancellation affect Formula 1&#8217;s Lusail race?<sup><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Formula 1 is still evaluating its schedule, though F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali previously indicated the sport intends to proceed with its November Qatar and Abu Dhabi events as planned.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Geopolitical instability looks set to trigger the definitive cancellation of the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix, paring down the MotoGP calendar to 21 events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020311814,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"MotoGP is expected to announce the cancellation of the Qatar GP ","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Michelin","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[32,194],"42wp_author":[59],"class_list":["post-1345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motogp","tag-motogp","tag-qatar-gp","42wp_author-fabricio-carvalho"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1345"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1346,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1345\/revisions\/1346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020311814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1345"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=1345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}