The Qatar Grand Prix remains scheduled for November 8 and is expected to go ahead. MotoGP teams have been told that the event is still on course after its promoter received assurances from local authorities. That keeps the race on its current timetable, although the security situation in the wider region remains relevant to the staging of any international event.

The regional backdrop

The expectation that the Qatar race will proceed comes as the Middle East faces continuing instability. The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran is ongoing, while a separate wave of missile attacks has been carried out against Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group. The United Kingdom announced on Tuesday that it was deploying RAF Typhoon jets to help defend Saudi Arabia as missile and drone attacks escalate.

The same regional concerns have placed Formula 1’s final two races under scrutiny. The 2026 season is still being planned to conclude with a double-header in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said both events “are going to happen”. He also stressed that the FIA would not send staff, drivers or officials to a venue it considered risky.

Ben Sulayem said he was comfortable with FIA personnel travelling to Qatar and Abu Dhabi because he personally felt secure there. He acknowledged that he could not predict what might happen, but said that, at the time of his comments, he saw no reason to change the plan. His position was that the FIA should apply what he called common sense rather than send its people into a dangerous location.

If the situation changes and Formula 1 needs another venue for its season finale, Imola remains available as a contingency. Asked whether the circuit was still on standby, Ben Sulayem replied that the FIA was “always ready”. That provision concerns the Formula 1 calendar; MotoGP’s immediate position is unchanged, with Qatar being planned for its November 8 date.

The assurances received by the Qatar Grand Prix promoter support the current MotoGP schedule, rather than removing the need to monitor developments as the race approaches. For now, teams are working on the basis that the event will take place as planned.