Marc Marquez will travel to Qatar for the MotoGP race at Lusail, but he intends to arrive as late as possible. After winning the Malaysian Grand Prix, he said he would return to Spain first and reach Qatar on Thursday evening. That schedule should put him there for first practice on Friday, but after the pre-race press conference has taken place.

The timing matters because the Lusail event, the 20th and third-last race of the season, is being staged amid a serious dispute over security. The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran remains volatile and unpredictable, while Marquez still has a mathematical chance of fighting for the title. Asked whether MotoGP should race in Qatar, however, the Ducati rider declined to take a position and said he preferred not to comment.

Yamaha takes a different position

Yamaha has announced that its teams and riders will not travel to Qatar for the next race. MotoGP responded by warning that the manufacturer could face sporting penalties for missing the event. A security concern has therefore become an open dispute between Yamaha and the championship, with the manufacturer taking a position that separates it from the teams preparing to follow the calendar.

Ducati Lenovo Team is preparing to make the trip. Team manager Davide Tardozzi said the assurances requested by the riders from Dorna and Liberty Media had been delivered through Carlos Ezpeleta, who travelled to Qatar to manage the matter. Tardozzi said his team felt safe and would go ahead with the journey. He also argued that the communication should pass through the teams: riders are contracted to their teams, and the organisers should provide the relevant assurances to those teams, which then relay them to the riders. Tardozzi added that he did not know the details of the riders’ private discussions.

The other riders’ plans are not uniform. Alex Marquez will miss the Lusail race to undergo shoulder surgery. Pedro Acosta, meanwhile, said he would go to Bali first to get some rest before travelling to Qatar.

Trackhouse remains committed

Davide Brivio took a less categorical line than Tardozzi, but confirmed that Trackhouse Aprilia remains committed to the championship. The team is ready to travel with its full group because the race remains confirmed on the calendar. Brivio said he hoped the event would go ahead and described Lusail as a circuit that consistently produces good racing. With Marquez delaying his arrival and Yamaha refusing to make the trip, Qatar has become a defining test of how each team weighs security concerns against its championship commitments.