The decision is now official: the Qatar Grand Prix will take place from November 6th to 8th at the Losail International Circuit. But instead of easing tensions, this announcement has triggered a wave of criticism among MotoGP fans, furious to see the calendar disrupted to maintain the Qatari event at all costs.
The postponement of the race had become almost inevitable. The geopolitical situation in the Middle East has already caused a series of cancellations in international motorsport: the opening round of the World Endurance Championship at Qatar was removed, while Formula 1 cancelled the Bahrain Grand Prix andSaudi ArabiaIn this context, MotoGP could not ignore the uncertainties surrounding the event initially scheduled for April.
The organizers therefore opted to postpone until the end of the season. Qatar will become the third leg of a particularly packed triptych after the races ofAustralia and MalaysiaThis decision has a domino effect on the end of the championship: the Portuguese Grand Prix at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is pushed back to 20-22 November, while the season finale at Ricardo Tormo Circuit will now take place 27th and the 29th of November.
A decision about Qatar that sets social media ablaze
If the officials of MotoGP While they believed they had found a reasonable solution, the fans' reaction was quite different. On social media, and especially on Reddit, criticism erupted as soon as the new schedule was announced.
One internet user summed up the general frustration: They are moving two races, which is causing enormous difficulties for the organizers and to the fans who had planned to make the tripAll this just to avoid cancelling a race whose stands have always been empty. Well done. »
Another, even more direct comment attacks the very logic of this decision:
« What a stupid idea! It must be cancelled. No one will be flying to Qatar this year, let alone participating in a race.Unnecessarily disrupting Portimão and Valencia is wishful thinking. »
For some supporters, the reason for staying in the country is primarily financial. Qatar's money is too valuable to refuse. " writes one user, noting that the country remains one of the championship's major partners.
On X, the reactions are similar: Why not just cancel and avoid all these problems? Reporting from Portimão and Valencia almost in December seems crazy to me. »
Despite pressure from fans, championship officials never seriously considered cancelling the race. The MotoGP boss, Carmelo Ezpeletahad clearly indicated that the objective was to postpone the event, not to cancel it.
This firm stance also put an end to the rumors that theArgentina could reclaim the freed-up date. The circuit of losail It therefore remains on the calendar, even if its positioning in November disrupts the balance of the end of the season.
This postponement highlights how complex the MotoGP calendar has become to manage in a world championship where logistics, safety, and commercial interests are constantly intertwined. Between geopolitical tensions, circuit constraints, and financial commitments, room for maneuver is often very limited.
