MotoGP Qatar GP 2026: New Date in November Due to Middle East Conflict

MotoGP moves its Qatar GP from April to November. The season finale in Valencia shifts to November 29, extending the season by one week.

New date for the Qatar GP: November 6–8 instead of April 10–12
Portimão and Valencia each move back one week, finale on November 29
Phillip Island, Sepang and Lusail on three consecutive weekends

MotoGP will not race in Qatar until November this year. On March 15, the series announced that the Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit will not go ahead on April 10–12 as planned. The reason is the war in the Middle East. The replacement date has consequences for the end of the 2026 MotoGP season: two more races move back, and the season runs one week longer.

When does the 2026 Qatar GP take place now?

The Qatar Grand Prix is now scheduled for November 6–8, 2026, with the race itself on Sunday, November 8. The venue remains the Lusail International Circuit near Doha.

According to MotoGP, this date was chosen because it causes the least disruption to the rest of the calendar. Fans who had already bought tickets for the April weekend can transfer them to the new date. MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta pointed this out in the announcement. He also said that the safety of everyone involved comes first for the series and that fans should get clarity as early as possible.

Why was the Qatar Grand Prix postponed?

The trigger is the war in the Gulf region, which made a race in Qatar in spring impossible for safety and logistical reasons. On February 28, the US and Israel jointly attacked targets in Iran. Iran then struck back at several countries in the region. Air traffic has been disrupted ever since.

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MotoGP coordinated the move with the FIM, the event organiser and the authorities in Qatar. The series’ promoter is MotoGP Sports Entertainment, formerly known as Dorna. FIM President Jorge Viegas backed the new plan. He pointed to the geopolitical situation, in which protecting riders, teams, officials and spectators has priority.

The hosts also support the move. Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, who heads both the Qatari motorsport federation QMMF and the Lusail International Circuit, thanked fans, teams and partners for their understanding. Whether racing can actually take place at Lusail in November depends on how the situation in the region develops.

Which other races in the 2026 MotoGP calendar are moving?

Besides Qatar, the last two races of the season also move back one week each. The Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão is now planned for November 20–22, and the finale at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia for November 27–29. All other dates remain unchanged.

With the old dates for Portugal and Valencia, the paddock would have faced five race weekends without a break in the autumn. As a result of the shift, the season now ends one week later. The test after the finale moves too and is scheduled for December 1. The new 850cc bikes for the 2027 season are expected to be seen in public there for the first time.

The cancellation of the April date leaves a gap in spring. Qatar had originally been planned as the fourth round, between the overseas races at the start of the year and the beginning of the European season. There are now four weeks without a race between the US Grand Prix in Austin (March 27–29) and the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez (April 24–26).

Three overseas races in a row at the end of the season

With its new date, Qatar now directly follows two other races outside Europe. MotoGP first races at Phillip Island in Australia on October 23–25, then at Sepang in Malaysia on October 30 – November 1. The Qatar GP at Lusail follows immediately afterwards. Teams and staff are therefore on duty overseas for three weekends in a row.

How are Formula 1 and the WEC responding to the Middle East conflict?

Formula 1 cancelled its two April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia instead of postponing them. That decision came just a few hours before MotoGP’s announcement. The 2026 Formula 1 calendar therefore lists 22 instead of 24 Grands Prix. MotoGP, on the other hand, keeps all 22 planned races, just in a new order. Both series belong to the US company Liberty Media.

The World Endurance Championship (WEC) opted for a postponement, as MotoGP did. The 1812 Kilometres of Qatar were meant to open the season at the end of March. They now take place at the end of October and are therefore the penultimate round of the 2026 WEC calendar.