Yamaha pulls out of Qatar MotoGP over ‘situation in the Middle East’

Yamaha has withdrawn its MotoGP team from next weekend’s race in Qatar, citing “the situation in the Middle East”. The Japanese manufacturer announced its decision shortly after the Malaysian MotoGP race on Sunday. “Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions,” Yamaha said in its statement. Among the racers on the MotoGP grid riding Yamaha bikes is France’s Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 world champion. Alex Rins of Spain is the other racer on the Yamaha team. The sport’s governing body, the MotoGP Group, said it was “disappointed” by the decision and said that “Yamaha’s non-participation also carries sporting implications”.