Wolff says those unwilling to travel to Middle East should stay home

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said that anyone in the MotoGP and F1 paddocks who does not want to travel to the Middle East should not go, describing the decision as simple. MotoGP is racing in Qatar this weekend amid uncertainty linked to the Iran War, with most riders reportedly opposed to taking part and the Yamaha factory team withdrawing from the event. F1 is not due in Qatar until late November, with the season ending in Abu Dhabi on December 6th, and F1 insists both races will go ahead in line with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office advice, which does not currently advise against travel to the region.

Wolff said Formula 1 follows international guidelines, including travel restrictions, airline decisions and government warnings, and that he fully supports this approach. He said that if riders had concerns, the MotoGP management had handled the situation in the right way by asking whether riders wanted to ride, and that anyone who did not want to go should not. He added that the F1 leadership would be the first to protect people if conditions deteriorated.

Wolff also said the matter had not been raised internally at Mercedes, but that he would respect anyone who felt uncomfortable travelling and would not let it affect working relationships.