Qatar says its 2026 F1 and MotoGP races at Lusail remain on track, with the country’s motorsport chief insisting normal operations have resumed despite the continuing regional conflict.
The latest statement is significant because other international championships have already changed their plans. The FIA World Endurance Championship has cancelled its planned Qatar and Bahrain rounds, while Formula 1 is expected to make a final decision on its own late-season Middle East races by mid-September.
Qatar says preparations remain on schedule
Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation president Abdul Rahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai told Reuters that preparations are continuing for the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix on 8 November and the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix on 29 November.
Al Mannai said Qatar is operating normally, pointing to a fully operational airport and the wider return of day-to-day activity. His position is that the country is ready to receive both championships as planned.
That does not mean either race is guaranteed. The final decisions sit with the championships and governing bodies, which must assess safety, travel, freight and operational risk across the region rather than only conditions at Lusail International Circuit itself.
Formula 1 still lists Lusail on the 2026 calendar
Formula 1’s official 2026 Qatar Grand Prix page continues to list the Lusail weekend for 27-29 November, with the race scheduled for Sunday 29 November.
The Qatar round is currently followed one week later by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina on 4-6 December, which is due to conclude the season.
Reuters reports that Formula 1 is expected to make its final call by mid-September. That timing is important because the championship, teams and freight operation need clarity well before the November flyaway sequence.
F1 has already demonstrated that it is prepared to reshape the calendar when regional circumstances require it. Earlier this season, Tech Torque Media reported on Sepang emerging as the replacement venue for Bahrain, underlining how quickly contingency planning can become a live operational issue.
MotoGP has already postponed Qatar once
MotoGP’s Qatar race has already been moved once because of the regional situation. It was originally due to take place in April before being postponed to 6-8 November.
When the revised date was announced, MotoGP said the change had been made in coordination with the FIM, promoter and Qatari authorities, with safety and wellbeing the primary consideration.
The rescheduling also forced changes elsewhere on the calendar. Portugal was moved to 22 November and Valencia to 29 November so that Qatar could retain a place in the 2026 championship.
That history makes Al Mannai’s latest statement more meaningful. Qatar is not simply defending a long-standing calendar date: it is arguing that the conditions which forced the original postponement should no longer prevent the rearranged November event from going ahead.
WEC has already cancelled Qatar and Bahrain
The clearest contrast comes from the World Endurance Championship. On 28 July, the FIA WEC confirmed that its planned final rounds in Qatar and Bahrain would not take place because ongoing regional developments were affecting freight and travel arrangements.
The championship instead moved its final two races to Europe, with Barcelona and Monza replacing the Middle East events. The official WEC announcement makes clear that the decision was driven by wider logistical conditions rather than the suitability of the circuits themselves.
That is why the Qatar situation remains fluid for Formula 1 and MotoGP. A championship can believe Lusail is capable of hosting a race and still conclude that moving personnel, equipment and freight into the region creates an unacceptable level of risk.
What happens if Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot proceed?
Formula 1’s current schedule places Qatar and Abu Dhabi back-to-back at the end of the year. If one or both events were removed, F1 would need to decide whether to cancel rounds outright, relocate them or reorganise the closing weeks of the championship.
Contingency planning has included the possibility of finishing the season in Europe if the Middle East races cannot be staged. Any replacement would need to satisfy circuit availability, FIA requirements, team logistics, commercial agreements and weather considerations at short notice.
For now, however, there has been no official cancellation of the Qatar Formula 1 or MotoGP rounds. Both remain on their respective calendars, and Qatar’s message is that it expects them to stay there.
Tech Torque Verdict
Al Mannai’s statement is the strongest public indication yet that Qatar believes Lusail can host both championships in November. It is materially different from speculation because it comes directly from the federation responsible for staging the events.
But Qatar’s confidence is only one part of the decision. WEC has already shown that freight and travel risk can override a circuit’s readiness, and F1’s expected mid-September review remains the key milestone.
Until that decision is made, the most accurate position is straightforward: Qatar is preparing to race, Formula 1 and MotoGP still list Lusail on their calendars, but the regional situation remains capable of changing those plans.
