F1 Holds Qatar Course as Yamaha Boycott Raises Pressure Over Losail

Yamaha and satellite team Pramac will boycott next week’s Qatar Grand Prix, turning long-running MotoGP unease into a public confrontation. MotoGP has threatened contractual and sporting sanctions, while Formula 1—under the same Liberty Media umbrella—says its Losail race on Nov. 27-29 remains on course.

Why it matters:

The first manufacturer-level boycott puts fresh scrutiny on how Liberty’s F1 handles a Middle East race while its two-wheeled counterpart faces open revolt.

The details:

• Yamaha and Pramac will skip Losail on Nov. 6-8. Alex Marquez will also miss the race for surgery after his Catalan GP crash.
• MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta travelled to Qatar for safety talks, but the series says the weekend goes ahead.
• F1 told Motorsport.com its plans are unchanged. A letter to teams said the season will finish in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and that other MotoGP manufacturers and the series still intend to travel.
• F1 says travel advice and insurance are unchanged since May, and is monitoring the US midterms and regional escalation.
• Imola has been preparing temporary grandstands for more than six weeks; F1 will cover costs if the fallback is not needed.

Between the lines:

F1 teams and drivers have been urged not to speak too critically and to trust F1 and the FIA. Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies and Williams’ James Vowles deferred to the governing bodies; Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were more cautious, with Sainz later clarifying his comments.

What's next:

F1 will keep watching the region and the US midterms. If security deteriorates, Imola is ready; if not, Qatar stays plan A. For now, F1 is buying time.