MotoGP leader Marc Márquez said he would prefer to be somewhere else ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. The Spanish Ducati rider spoke ahead of the 20th round of the world championship, which is taking place this weekend at the Lusail circuit.
Some of the riders objected to the race going ahead because of Qatar’s proximity to the conflict in the Middle East. Nevertheless, the organizers decided that the race would take place as scheduled. Few journalists attended the pre-race press conference.
“I would prefer to be somewhere else. That is precisely why I arrived on the latest possible flight and will leave at the first opportunity. Still, we are here, we are ready to race and we are fully focused,” Márquez said, quoted by Motorsport.com.
The Qatar Grand Prix is particularly important for the Spaniard because of the title battle as well. Márquez leads the standings with 399 points, while his compatriot Jorge Martín of Aprilia is second with 355 points. The gap between the two is 44 points.
With a favorable result, Márquez could end the championship battle as early as Sunday. Following the Qatar round, there are two more races remaining on the calendar.
Another Spanish rider, Raúl Fernández, also described the atmosphere in the paddock as tense. He said that he was not in peak condition and that the situation was complicated because of the war being fought near Qatar.
“It is a strange weekend, if I am honest. I am not 100 percent fit and the situation is slightly complicated because the tension we feel is not exactly ideal,” Fernández said.
According to him, the tension is caused not only by the pressure of racing, but also by the reluctance of some people in the championship to be in the region at the present time.
“Nothing will happen, but the concern about a war taking place right next to you makes the atmosphere less than ideal,” the rider added.
Pedro Acosta and Francesco Bagnaia presented a different point of view, saying that the situation was normal. The Qatar Grand Prix was moved to November because of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. After that, MotoGP continues with rounds in Portugal and Valencia.