Marc Marquez comments on Middle East war after MotoGP race shuffle

Marc Marquez has become the first MotoGP rider to speak publicly on the matter of the current conflict in the Middle East, calling for “peace and security” in the region.

Marquez spoke on the topic at a recent sponsor event held in Brazil, as reported by Motorsport.com, ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP race in the country, the first since the 2004 Rio Grand Prix.

“The most important thing is the cessation of conflicts to ensure peace and security in those areas,” Marquez said.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider's comments came in response to a question about the recent MotoGP calendar adjustments as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, which began on 28 February when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which subsequently expanded the war geographically by attacking facilities in the Gulf states, including Qatar, which host US military bases.

The conflict has forced MotoGP to abandon its planned trip to Lusail on 12 April, with the Qatar Grand Prix now rescheduled to 8 November, three weeks before the Formula 1 race there on 29 November. Consequently, the Portuguese and Valencia grands prix each moved back by one week to mean the season now finishes on 29 November.

F1 has also adjusted its calendar. The series was due to race in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April but both have been scrapped from the schedule. The World Endurance Championship also cancelled its season opener in Qatar that was originally scheduled for 28 March.

Brazil race “very positive” for MotoGP

The Brazilian MotoGP naturally exists in the shadow of the current conflict on the other side of the world, but it in itself is a “very positive” race for MotoGP to have, Marquez thinks.

It comes in a season where MotoGP has its first Brazilian rider, Diogo Moreira, since Alex Barros retired in 2007.

“That MotoGP returns to Brazil after so many years is something very positive for the championship and for all the fans,” Marquez said.

“To see that all the tickets are sold shows how much desire there was for this return.

“It will be an intense weekend and the objective is to be competitive from the first moment and give the maximum on track.”

Marquez arrives in Goiania for the second round of this season after a mixed weekend in Thailand, which saw him finish second after a controversial penalty in the Sprint, and retire from the grand prix after sustaining wheel rim damage. Reigning champion Marquez sits ninth in the riders’ standings and 23 points behind current points leader Pedro Acosta.