MotoGP riders arrive late for Qatar; press conference moved to 8 p.m.

Many MotoGP riders will not reach Doha until the day before the Qatar Grand Prix, prompting the organiser to postpone the traditional Thursday press conference to 8 p.m. local time instead of the usual 4 p.m.

Nineteen of the 22 riders had written to the MotoGP Group to voice their reluctance to travel to Qatar. Their concerns were not acted upon, and the Grand Prix will go ahead. After the race at Sepang, some riders returned home to Spain or Italy, while others stayed in Malaysia before flying on to Doha, with some departing that night and others not until the following day.

The late arrivals have affected the weekend schedule. The organiser has also not yet confirmed which riders will attend the press conference.