'Marc Marquez emerges as leading voice against Qatar Grand Prix'
Marquez is keeping quiet on Qatar (Credit: Apex Agency)
Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
Marc Marquez is reportedly leading the charge against MotoGP racing at the Qatar Grand Prix in a week’s time.
With riders in Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the weekend build-up has again been dominated by secret paddock meetings among the sport’s 22 riders.
Meetings took place at the previous two events in Indonesia and Australia, with details spilling into the paddock, including from Ducati’s team manager Davide Tardozzi.
Tardozzi backed Marquez’s public silence on the matter, insisting he was far more vocal behind the scenes when others weren’t.
Marc Marquez reportedly challenges MotoGP over Qatar Grand Prix
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The nine-time champion has again kept quiet in Sepang, but others in the paddock haven’t, with multiple reports claiming there was another meeting, this time with only the riders.
In fact, leading Spanish outlet MotoSan add that that Marquez is ‘challenging MotoGP’.
They claim: “The leading voice in the midst of all these negotiations, Marc Marquez seems to be challenging MotoGP.
“Despite being in contention for the title, the Ducati rider is one of the main contenders to skip the Qatar Grand Prix, and, clearly, he's one of the most influential voices in the paddock.”
GPOne add of the meeting: “They know the public is on their side. Now, it remains to be seen whether they'll stand united and take this to its logical conclusion, namely, refusing to race in Qatar.”
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Previous meetings have seen MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta attend with his son and deputy, Carlos, but that wasn’t the case this time around.
In fact, Carlos has been on the ground in Qatar.
Abdulrahman Al Mannai, CEO of the Qatar Social and Sporting Contributions Fund, said: “We are thrilled to have welcomed Carlos Ezpeleta to Losail International Circuit.
“The countdown is on, and we are ready to welcome the riders, teams and fans back to Qatar.”
Marquez explains why he refuses to speak publicly about Qatar
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Despite those claims and the paddock reports, Marquez continues to stay quiet.
In Thursday’s press conference, the 33-year-old said: “We cannot say nothing [anything].”
He was then asked about the matter in an interview with AS and followed the same line.
"When I can't say what I think, I don't want to talk,” he said. “So, rather than express something that isn't true, I just stay silent.
"Since my injury, I've understood that life is one and the body is one, while there are many careers and moments.
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“You can seek them out, create them, and enjoy them, but for me, life is always the priority."
VR46 Racing team manager Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci has said that one team member has already decided not to travel to Qatar, while Marquez’s brother Alex has given extra detail that his brother wouldn’t.
Alex Marquez claims majority of paddock would prefer to skip Qatar GP
The Gresini rider told the media in Sepang: “We can’t say much. I’m going home from Malaysia, and then we’ll see what happens during the week.
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“When we riders unite, we’re not just fighting for the riders, but for the entire paddock. Because I think there’s a union of about 85 per cent of the paddock, I’d say more or less, or maybe 70 per cent, who would prefer not to go.
“But that’s how it is, and we’re there, waiting to see how the situation develops, because nobody knows.”
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travelling to Qatar, and several media outlets have already decided not to send journalists to cover the event.
The Qatar Grand Prix was initially scheduled for April but moved to November in response to the US-Israeli strikes on close neighbour Iran.
Multiple reports claim that the United States are planning more strikes after the mid-term elections on November 3.
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MotoGP track action gets underway three days later, with the event running from November 6 to 8.
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