A Moto GP manufacturer has confirmed it will not participate in next week’s round in Qatar.

The withdrawal of Yamaha could prompt others to pull out of the event. It will also cast further doubt on whether F1’s visit to the Losail International Circuit three weeks later will go ahead.

Qatar’s Moto GP round was originally due to take place in April, but was postponed due to the war. Yamaha has already imposed restrictions on its company members visiting Qatar due to the dangers in the region arising from the ongoing war between Iran and the USA. With less than a week to go until Moto GP’s event begins at the track, Yamaha has confirmed it will not participate in the event.

“Following its latest assessment of the situation in the Middle East, Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions,” it said.

“As a result, Yamaha has informed Moto GP Group about its decision not to participate in the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix.

“This decision reflects Yamaha’s assessment of the information currently available and is independent of the measures implemented by MotoGP Group and the event organiser.”

Some Moto GP riders have expressed concerns over travelling to Qatar and sought reassurances from Moto GP. The series is owned by Liberty Media, which is also the commercial rights holder for F1.

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Reports claimed the series told riders they would be barred from participating in subsequent rounds if they did not race in Qatar. Yamaha’s statement concluded: “Yamaha remains fully committed to Moto GP and looks forward to returning to competition at the Portuguese Grand Prix.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali previously said the series would make a decision in mid-September over whether its two final rounds in the Middle East could go ahead despite the situation. The series has already cancelled its races at the Bahrain International Circuit, which it replaced with an event in Malaysia, and at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, which it did not replace.

If any of the remaining rounds on this year’s calendar are cancelled without replacement, Andrea Kimi Antonelli will automatically clinch the world championship.

F1 has arranged for Imola to hold a replacement race if necessary. Speaking on Friday, Williams team principal James Vowles indicated the series has other contingency arrangements in place.

“F1 and the FIA have been very good at providing us updates, and they have a plan B and plan C,” he said. “This is not a decision they’re taking lightly, as you would imagine as a result of it.”

“We do trust their process because they are displaying to us a very large depth of analysis behind what they’re doing,” he added.

This article will be updated.

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