MotoGP riders seek Qatar safety guarantees before race

MotoGP riders have asked championship officials for written safety and travel guarantees before agreeing to race in Qatar on November 8, while the series says the event is expected to proceed. The requests follow a private meeting at the Australian Grand Prix where riders discussed whether to travel amid regional instability. The riders asked for an evacuation plan covering paddock personnel, payment of accommodation costs if airspace closures prevent them from leaving Doha, and repatriation insurance if the conflict escalates while they are in Qatar. The requests were presented to MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta during a Safety Commission meeting at Phillip Island on Friday, according to reports of the discussions. MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group says it has sufficient guarantees from the Qatari government for the race to take place safely. The teams association, IRTA, also told its members that the event would go ahead. Those assurances have not established whether the riders’ specific requests have been accepted, and the written guarantees have not been made public in the reporting. Accounts of the private vote differ in how they describe its result: one report said...