MotoGP, Qatar weekend in autumn
Yesterday Formula 1 announced that there will be no races in April due to the war in the Middle East, which makes it impossible to race in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. A few hours later MotoGP reached the same decision: the Qatar GP will not be held on the weekend of April 12 and will be postponed to November 8, where it will be the final stage of a triple-header that also involves Australia and Malaysia.
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Following this move, the dates for the Portuguese GP and the Valencia grand finale also change. The last two weekends are now moved by one week, to November 22 and 29 respectively, while all other rounds of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship remain unchanged.
BREAKING: #QatarGP 🇶🇦 postponed to 8 November due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
As a result, the #PortugueseGP and the #ValenciaGP will respectively take place on 22 and 29 November #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/a3NRfEEwVH
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— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 15, 2026
Ezpeleta’s words
“This decision was made with great care and in full collaboration with our partners in Qatar and throughout the paddock“, commented Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP. “Our priority is always safety and the well-being of all people involved in MotoGP, as well as ensuring that every Grand Prix takes place according to the highest possible standards. We also recognize the importance of providing clarity to our fans as soon as possible and ticket holders will be given the possibility to transfer their tickets to the next event. I would also like to thank our partners in Portimão and Valencia for their collaboration and flexibility in helping us ensure a smooth transition to the revised calendar. We are confident that the updated program will allow us to preserve the quality of the championship, while offering fans an exceptional racing season“.
Viegas’s words
“The Federation fully supports the decision to reschedule the Qatar Grand Prix“, added Jorge Viegas, president of the FIM. “Given the current geopolitical situation, the safety of our riders, teams, officials and fans must always have priority. We are certain that the updated calendar will guarantee the event in Qatar takes place under the safest and most professional conditions possible“.
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