Marc Márquez: winning a World Championship under the threat of war

BarcelonaMarc Márquez is already touching his tenth world crown with his fingertips. After a very complicated season, since he had to undergo surgery at the beginning of the year following a fall, the rider from Cervera has staged an incredible comeback, in which he has gone on to overcome all the rivals who aspired to dethrone him. But they could not. After winning the Malaysian Grand Prix, his 80th victory in MotoGP, this weekend he could already be champion in Qatar.

The injury to his great rival Jorge Martín has helped a lot a Márquez who still does not know if the man from Madrid will participate in the Qatar race. In Malaysia he tried, but the pain was so strong that he gave up. To be champion this week, Márquez needs to score thirty points more than Jorge Martín in Qatar between the sprint race and the Grand Prix. Currently, he leads him by 44. In addition, he also needs to score seven points more than the Italian Marco Bezzecchi, whom he now leads by 67 points. If he achieves it, he would add his tenth world crown, his eighth in MotoGP, a fact that would allow him to surpass Valentino Rossi's nine World Championships. Only Ángel Nieto, who won thirteen, would have more.

Drums of war in the area

The Grand Prix, however, arrives at a bad time. In recent weeks, news of a military escalation in the region has led all teams to demand security guarantees from the World Championship organizers. Many teams went as far as to propose holding the Grand Prix in Europe, but both the World Championship and the Qatari government have insisted it will be safe, even though the United States government has for days been asking relatives and non-essential workers to leave the embassies in the countries of the region. When Donald Trump's government bombed Iran in the summer of 2025, almost all sporting events scheduled in states like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia were suspended. Iran bombed these states, where there are American military bases, causing major changes to the calendar, as happened in motorsport. In recent months, the instability in the area has especially affected Saudi Arabia, bombed by missiles and drones coming from Yemen, where there has been a civil war for decades. The Houthis, allies of the Iranian government, have managed to overcome Saudi defenses time and again and have caused events like the Dakar Rally not to be held in this state. Finally, the rally will take place in Morocco. Other tournaments have been affected: the Asian Football Cup, for example, has been postponed until 2027.

In Qatar, over the last few months, attacks have greatly reduced and a certain sense of normality has been recovered. However, news about a military escalation – this very Monday a new bombing by Washington on Iran took place – has spread fear among the MotoGP teams. In recent weeks, meetings between the organizers and the riders have been tense, and many riders have asked not to go to Qatar, but ultimately they have not raised their voices in public for fear of sanctions.

There is one team, Yamaha, that has decided not to go to Doha, considering that there is too great a risk, and following the Japanese government's advice not to put workers at risk by sending them to the area. MotoGP Group, the organizer of the Motorcycle World Championship, has shown itself to be hurt by this decision: "While we recognize that the team is subject to a broader corporate policy that restricts travel to the Middle East, we do not believe that this decision reflects the broad guarantees provided to all stakeholders in the championship. After consulting with the State of Qatar, the Lusail International Circuit, independent security advisors, and MotoGP's ongoing risk assessment process, MotoGP has not received any information that justifies a change in the current plans for the event". In fact, they are threatening the Japanese team with possible fines, since "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, the consequences of which will be managed by the FIM in accordance with the championship regulations".

Most of the media outlets covering the World Championship have also not sent journalists to Qatar, with the exception of the television broadcaster that holds the rights, the channel DAZN. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently recommends not making any trip to Qatar unless it is really necessary. With the exception of the Saudis, the monarchies in the region continue to organize sports tournaments, considering the situation to be under control.