Yamaha Pulls Out of Qatar MotoGP Round Over Middle East Travel Ban — and the Grid Calls Foul

Yamaha has told MotoGP it will not take part in this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, citing the Japanese manufacturer’s company-wide restrictions on travel to the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The decision, announced in a joint statement from Yamaha and MotoGP Group on Sunday, has thrown the Lusail round into fresh controversy just days before the championship’s next decisive stop. “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,” the manufacturer said.

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