The Qatar MotoGP is still on for Lusail on 6 to 8 November, even though three-quarters of the grid opposed the trip at Phillip Island and three riders still did at Sepang[1][2]. On 31 October, Motorsport.com and Autosport reported that a rider who skips Friday practice there risks being barred from the last two rounds[2][3]. No ban has been announced[4]. For us in Australia, the Grand Prix starts at 3:00 am AEDT on Monday 9 November, the title is still open and Jack Miller has three MotoGP rounds left after Sepang[1][5][6]. Here are the times first.

Qatar MotoGP session times in AEDT

MotoGP's own schedule lists every Lusail session in Qatar time, which is UTC+3, and its data put last month's Phillip Island round on UTC+11, which is AEDT[1]. So we've added eight hours:

SessionTime (AEDT)
Free Practice 1Friday 6 November, 10:45 pm to 11:30 pm
PracticeSaturday 7 November, 3:00 am to 4:00 am
Free Practice 2Saturday 7 November, 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Qualifying 1Saturday 7 November, 10:40 pm to 10:55 pm
Qualifying 2Saturday 7 November, 11:05 pm to 11:20 pm
Sprint (11 laps)Sunday 8 November, 3:00 am
Warm-upSunday 8 November, 10:40 pm to 10:50 pm
Grand Prix (22 laps)Monday 9 November, 3:00 am

Yep, both races land at 3:00 am AEDT, because Lusail starts its MotoGP races at 7:00 pm local time[1]. Daylight saving started on 4 October, and Queensland, WA and the NT don't use it, so if you're not on AEDT, convert before you set an alarm[7]. These are our conversions, so check the official app on the day in case a session moves. Practice, qualifying and both races are live in Australia on Fox Sports through Foxtel and on Kayo Sports, according to the Australian Grand Prix Corporation[8].

Lusail in a nutshell

MotoGP's data has the lap at 5.38 km with 16 corners, 10 of them rights, and a 1,068 m main straight[1]. The circuit opened in 2004 and hosted the first night race in MotoGP history in 2008, according to Wikipedia's Lusail page[9].

Why the Qatar MotoGP moved to November

Lusail was first set to host its Grand Prix on 12 April[10]. The war between the US-Israeli alliance and Iran broke out in February, and on 15 March, after Formula 1 had cancelled its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, MotoGP pushed Qatar back to 8 November[2][10]. To make room, Portimão moved to 22 November and Valencia to 29 November, so Qatar is now round 20 of 22, third-last on the calendar[11][1].

At the time, MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said "Our priority is always the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in MotoGP"[11]. AMCN reported that MotoGP made the call together with the FIM and Qatar's authorities[11]. The fighting has eased since those first months but hasn't stopped, and Motorsport.com noted Iran-aligned Houthis had attacked several key sites in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks[12].

What the riders asked for

Around the Indonesian round on 9 to 11 October, riders voted in their WhatsApp group, with three-quarters of the grid against going, Motorsport.com reported[1][12]. At Phillip Island they met on the Thursday with nobody from the promoter in the room, and several proposed asking for written guarantees[12]. Motorsport.com listed what they wanted:

  • Evacuation: a plan to get the whole paddock out if it comes to that[12]
  • Airspace: accommodation paid for if Qatari airspace closes and nobody can fly home[12]
  • Repatriation: insurance to bring people home if the conflict escalates while the paddock is there[12]

Grande Prêmio added that riders and teams also want help for mechanics and other staff who might get stuck in the country[13]. The requests went to MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta at that Friday's Safety Commission[12].

What Qatar has offered

The promoter's line is that guarantees like these are the Qatari government's job, not its own[14]. On 29 October, Motorsport.com reported that Qatar had sent a document committing to act in an emergency, though the riders wanted more detail[14]. Grande Prêmio reported the same day that Qatari authorities had given MotoGP written assurances on event security and on preparing a dedicated evacuation plan[13].

By 31 October, Motorsport.com said sources inside the organisation told it the Qatari government's guarantees cover an evacuation plan for the whole paddock, financial protection if the airspace closes and repatriation insurance[2]. Carlos Ezpeleta flew to Doha that week for a conference, and one member of his group told the outlet "Everything is completely normal"[2].

The travel advice

On 8 October, Smartraveller lowered its advice for Qatar to Level 2, "exercise a high degree of caution", while warning that the regional security situation is still unpredictable[15][16]. Advice can change quickly, so check the current level on Smartraveller before you go[15]. Motorsport.com and Autosport said most countries represented in the paddock advise their citizens to postpone travel to Qatar, and Grande Prêmio reported that Spain's embassy there advises against non-essential trips[2][3][4].

None of that is a ban, which matters: an official travel ban could let MotoGP call force majeure and cancel without paying for it, Motorsport.com explained[2].

The reported ban threat, and what's official

Then came the bombshell. On 31 October, Motorsport.com and Autosport both ran a report by Oriol Puigdemont saying the riders had been warned what they face if they stay home[2][3]. Without an "entirely legitimate and unequivocal justification", Motorsport.com said, a rider could cop it from more than one side[2]:

  • Fines: teams could pass on to their riders any financial penalties the organisers hand the teams[2]
  • Sanctions: the FIM could treat a no-show as a serious breach of the rules, with sporting penalties that might carry into next season[2]
  • The ban: a rider who doesn't turn up to ride in Doha on Friday "risks being barred from competing in the final two rounds of the championship, in Portugal and Valencia"[2]

Crash.net's write-up, citing the Spanish-language edition of Motorsport, said sanctions could hit riders who miss Qatar "for any reason other than injury"[17].

So what's official? Not the ban. Grande Prêmio wrote that "the FIM has not announced any such punishment", and said Reuters had reported no decision on sporting sanctions[4]. What MotoGP's boss has made clear is that the race is happening[13]. Motorsport.com reported that Carmelo Ezpeleta met the riders at Sepang on Thursday 29 October and they left believing the event would go ahead even if some of them stayed away[14][13]. He also reminded them that their contracts are with their teams, and the teams would wear any penalties[14].

From three-quarters of the grid to three riders

The numbers moved quickly. Motorsport.com put the opposition at more than three-quarters of the grid on 29 October[14]. By the riders' latest meeting at Sepang, only three were still against going, and most were resigned to the trip[2]. Even getting a room was a fight: their Friday meeting ran for an hour in Yamaha's communications office after the championship turned down a request for a meeting room[2].

A smaller paddock at Lusail

Motorsport.com reported that Yamaha plans to send as few staff as it can, and Honda is planning much the same[14]. Crash.net said VR46 has confirmed some of its team won't travel, and that riders may not land until Thursday 5 November[17][1]. Crash.net also reported that DAZN is the only broadcaster heading to Lusail[18]. TNT Sports and Ziggo Sport are among those presenting from their own studios[18].

The big unknown is the war itself. Autosport said nobody can predict how things will unfold after the US midterm elections, and Crash.net cited reports that US President Donald Trump plans to renew attacks on Iran after the midterms on 3 November[3][17].

Is a riders' union closer?

This fight has revived an old idea. Motorsport.com reported that a riders' association was set up three years ago, with Sylvain Guintoli named as spokesperson, although he never took up the job[12]. At Phillip Island, Alex Marquez said "now we have all seen that we need it", and Francesco Bagnaia said "Now is the right time to take it up again, and for the riders to have more of a voice"[12].

Only the teams and the manufacturers have official bodies that MotoGP holds contracts with at the moment[17]. Crash.net's Lewis Duncan reckons the riders look "closer than ever to forming an official union", and wrote that the ban threat feels like "a genuine attempt at killing the idea of a riders' union"[17]. Our take: asking for an evacuation plan in writing before racing near an active conflict isn't unreasonable.

The title fight heading to Lusail

Marc Marquez (Ducati) won the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday 1 November, with Sprint winner Pedro Acosta second and his brother Alex third[19]. That put him on 399 points, 44 ahead of Jorge Martin (Aprilia) on 355, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) on 332 and Acosta (KTM) on 295[20].

Martin's season turned at Phillip Island, where a crash in the Sprint left him with a fractured right forearm[5]. He tried to ride at Sepang but pulled out before qualifying, saying "Maybe I can win it, but for me it's already lost"[21]. He's targeting a possible return in Qatar[21].

Now the maths. Marquez gets his first mathematical chance at a tenth world title in Qatar, and Crash.net says he "needs either a 74- or 75-point title lead after Lusail" to seal it there[20]. Peter McLaren put it plainly: "In simple terms, Marquez needs to outscore Martin by 30 points in Qatar and Bezzecchi by eight points"[20].

Alex Marquez is weighing whether to bring forward surgery in Madrid on Tuesday 3 November to remove a plate from his right collarbone, which could rule him out of Qatar, Motorsport.com reported[22].

Purple Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP bike on a stand in Phillip Island pit lane outside the Fernandez and Miller garages
Photo: Bike Domain

Jack Miller's last laps on the M1

For Aussie fans, Lusail is also one of Jack Miller's last three MotoGP races before he moves to World Superbike[6]. It's been a tough fortnight. At Phillip Island he qualified fifth and finished seventh in the Sprint, his first Saturday points of the season[23]. Then Sunday's race, the last MotoGP at the Island before the Australian round moves to Adelaide, never ran[23][24]. MotoGP called it off "Due to limited visibility affecting the operation of the medical helicopter", and the riders did two parade laps behind the safety car instead, as Cycle News reported[24].

Miller called it "a punch in the stomach"[6]. Pramac had prepared a special gold and green livery for his last home race, and he never got to race it[6]. We previewed that farewell weekend in our Jack Miller Phillip Island story.

Sepang didn't go much better. When rain started to fall early in the Sprint, Miller dived into the pits for his wet bike, but it wasn't ready and his race was over[25]. He put it down to "a miscommunication" and said "I apologised for my reaction afterwards"[25]. Team director Gino Borsoi said the second bike would have been ready a lap later[25].

After the Malaysian Grand Prix, Miller is 19th in the championship on 31 points[20]. His team-mate for the run home is Augusto Fernandez, who is finishing the season on the injured Toprak Razgatlioglu's bike, The Race reported[26]. Our photo shows the two Pramac garages side by side, Fernandez's name board on one and Miller's Australian flag board on the other.

What it means for Australian riders

If you were thinking of flying over to watch, make sure your travel insurance covers delays and cancellations, plus changes to the advice level, as Travel Weekly's report of the update advises[16].

For the rest of us it's alarms or replays, with both races at 3:00 am AEDT, the Sprint on Sunday 8 November and the Grand Prix on Monday 9 November[1]. Fox Sports and Kayo carry both races live[8]. If you'd like the background on the circuit, our MotoGP race tracks of 2025 guide has a section on Lusail.

Watching Miller wring out a Yamaha for the last few times in MotoGP might have you shopping. You can browse every Yamaha motorcycle for sale or every sports bike for sale on Bike Domain, and our motorcycle loan calculator shows what the repayments look like. If you're still on your Ls or Ps, our LAMS approved bikes guide shows what you can ride, and if you're clearing the shed first, you can list your current bike from the sell your bike page.

Sources

  1. MotoGP, the 2026 event calendar and the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar schedule in the public data feed behind motogp.com (session times at UTC+3), read 1 November 2026 (the championship's own site, not linked)
  2. Oriol Puigdemont, "Why tensions between MotoGP and riders have escalated amid Qatar row", Motorsport.com, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  3. Oriol Puigdemont, "Why tensions between MotoGP and riders have escalated amid Qatar row", Autosport, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  4. Juan Pablo Otrosky, "MotoGP riders face potential two-race bans if they refuse to race in Qatar over safety fears", Grande Prêmio, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  5. Fabrício Carvalho, "MotoGP 2026 standings after Malaysian sprint: Marc Márquez leads Martín by 19 points", Grande Prêmio, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  6. Alex Whitworth, "Jack Miller airs frustration over Phillip Island MotoGP cancellation", Crash.net, 29 October 2026 (not linked)
  7. NSW Government, "Daylight saving in NSW: When it starts and ends in 2026 and 2027", 5 April 2026
  8. Australian Grand Prix Corporation, "How to Watch MotoGP Live on TV and Stream in Australia", updated 20 April 2026 (the event organiser's site, not linked)
  9. Wikipedia, "Lusail International Circuit", revised 29 October 2026
  10. Rachit Thukral, "MotoGP postpones Qatar GP to November due to Middle East conflict", Motorsport.com, 15 March 2026 (not linked)
  11. Australian Motorcycle News, "Iran conflict triggers MotoGP calendar reshuffle", 16 March 2026
  12. Oriol Puigdemont, "MotoGP riders ask for guarantees to go and race in Qatar", Motorsport.com, 23 October 2026 (not linked)
  13. Fabrício Carvalho, "MotoGP insists Qatar GP will go ahead despite riders' safety objections", Grande Prêmio, 29 October 2026 (not linked)
  14. Oriol Puigdemont, "MotoGP riders resigned to racing in Qatar despite safety concerns", Motorsport.com, 29 October 2026 (not linked)
  15. Smartraveller, "Qatar Travel Advice & Safety", updated 8 October 2026 (Wayback Machine copy of 13 October 2026, not linked)
  16. Travel Weekly staff, "Smartraveller lowers advice for Qatar and UAE", Travel Weekly, 8 October 2026 (not linked)
  17. Lewis Duncan, "MotoGP riders face bans if they don't race in Qatar, stunning report claims", Crash.net, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  18. Lewis Duncan, "Qatar MotoGP latest as US senator warns of 'insane' Middle East war escalation", Crash.net, 30 October 2026 (not linked)
  19. Aadi Nair, "Motorcycling-Marquez wins Malaysian Grand Prix, extending MotoGP championship lead", Reuters, 1 November 2026 (not linked)
  20. Peter McLaren, "Sepang: New 2026 MotoGP World Championship standings", Crash.net, 1 November 2026 (not linked)
  21. Kaio Esteves, "Martín says 2026 MotoGP title is 'already lost' after Malaysian GP withdrawal", Grande Prêmio, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  22. Oriol Puigdemont, "Alex Marquez considering surgery next week, could miss Qatar GP", Motorsport.com, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  23. Lewis Duncan, "Jack Miller achieves season-first in his final MotoGP Australian GP", Crash.net, 24 October 2026 (not linked)
  24. Press release published by Cycle News, "MotoGP Grand Prix Race at Phillip Island Canceled", 25 October 2026
  25. Peter McLaren, "Jack Miller explains Pramac 'miscommunication' after pit stop meltdown in Sepang sprint", Crash.net, 31 October 2026 (not linked)
  26. Valentin Khorounzhiy, "Fernandez becomes sixth rider sidelined from Australian GP", The Race, 24 October 2026 (not linked)