Marc Marquez and Qatar: “I’ll arrive as late as possible.” He chooses silence at the press conference

Marc Marquez will travel to Qatar, but only at the last minute. The Ducati rider, fresh from winning the Malaysian Grand Prix, has announced that he will land in Lusail on Thursday evening, effectively skipping the pre-event press conference and heading straight into Friday’s first practice session.

It’s a significant decision, especially since Qatar is where the Cervera star will have his first chance to wrap up the MotoGP World Championship. After his victory at Sepang, Marquez told TNT Sports that he would not fly straight to the Middle East: first, he will return home to Spain, then head to Lusail as late as possible.

Even more telling was what he didn’t say. At the official post-race press conference, asked point-blank whether he would race in Qatar, the nine-time world champion dodged the question: «I’d rather not say anything». The brief remark confirms the silence he has maintained in recent weeks, as unease grows in the paddock over the trip to Lusail, the twentieth and third-to-last round of the season.

The situation stems from the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran since the end of February—a volatile and unpredictable situation that has prompted many riders to try to avoid the trip. The MotoGP Group, however, has no intention of calling off the race. Immediately after the Malaysian GP, Yamaha announced that its teams and riders would not travel to Qatar, and the organizers responded by raising the possibility of sporting sanctions, as we reported in Yamaha rebels and refuses to race in Qatar: MotoGP Group threatens sanctions.

Marc won’t be the only one not heading straight to Lusail. His brother Alex has confirmed that he will miss the Qatar GP to undergo shoulder surgery. Pedro Acosta, runner-up at Sepang, will stop in Indonesia before making his way to Qatar: «I’m going to Bali, I’ll relax a little, and then we’ll see what happens», the factory KTM rider told TNT Sports.

Ducati, meanwhile, has offered a reassuring message. Team manager Davide Tardozzi, speaking before Yamaha’s announcement was released, said that the assurances requested by the riders had been provided. «I’m not worried. I know the organizers have told us that everything is safe there», he explained. «Everything the riders asked of Dorna and Liberty was provided by Carlos Ezpeleta, who went to Qatar to take care of all these matters, and at this point we feel safe. So we’re going there because the Qatari community deserves this race».

Tardozzi clarified that he did not know the details of the riders’ meetings, describing them as a private conversation, and noted that the riders are under contract with their teams: «In the end, we know it’s safe to go there, so we’ll go». It remains to be seen what kind of atmosphere MotoGP will face in Lusail, where Marquez could celebrate the title after arriving at the circuit as late as possible.

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