The Yamaha Motor Company has issued a statement saying its team will miss Round 20 of the MotoGP season due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
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The team has a clause in employee contracts, one that gives it power to invoke a travel ban to war-affected regions. The Grand Prix of Qatar (Nov. 6-8) takes place at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, located directly to the west of the Strait of Hormuz.
"Following its latest assessment of the situation in the Middle East, Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions," the company said in a statement.
"As a result, Yamaha has informed MotoGP Group about its decision not to participate in the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix.
"This decision reflects Yamaha's assessment of the information currently available and is independent of the measures implemented by MotoGP Group and the event organizer.
"Yamaha remains fully committed to MotoGP and looks forward to returning to competition at the Portuguese Grand Prix."
The ongoing war between the United States/Israel and Iran has led to multiple sporting leagues making major changes to the schedule.
The WEC and F1 both postponed/canceled events in the Middle East earlier this year. The Dakar Rally also moved from Saudi Arabia to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal for the 2027 race.
MotoGP has since responded to Yamaha's statement while saying that all of the other teams on the grid have confirmed plans to travel to Doha for the Grand Prix of Qatar.
The series also said that Yamaha faces consequences for breaching its contract with this boycott. The Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) will determine these sanctions, according to the statement.
"MotoGP is disappointed by Yamaha's decision not to participate in the Qatar Grand Pri," the statement said. "While we recognise the team is subject to a broader corporate policy restricting travel to the Middle East, we do not believe this decision reflects the extensive assurances provided to all championship stakeholders.
"Following consultation with the State of Qatar, Lusail International Circuit, independent safety advisers, and MotoGP's own ongoing risk assessment process, MotoGP has not received any information that would warrant a change to the current plans for the event.
"We communicated that position, together with the latest available information, to all Manufacturers and Teams today and welcome the confirmation from the remainder of the grid that they will compete in Qatar, and we thank them for that commitment.
"In addition to the contractual implications of Yamaha's decision for its agreements with MotoGP and IRTA, Yamaha's non-participation also carries sporting implications, with any sporting consequences to be managed by the FIM in accordance with the Championship regulations."
