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Marc Marquez on Qatar GP: 'I would rather be somewhere else'
Marquez plans to spend no more time in Qatar than strictly necessary; Raul Fernandez says the paddock feels tense
Richard Asher Germán Garcia Casanova
Published: Nov 5, 2026, 5:53 PM
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Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
MotoGP world championship leader Marc Marquez has admitted he would rather be somewhere other than Doha on the eve of the Qatar Grand Prix.
While the riders now appear fully resigned to racing in the unpopular event this weekend, and some chose to take a positive stance on Thursday's media day, Marquez did not pretend to be happy about being on the fringes of a conflict zone.
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During the pre-event press conference, which was sparsely attended due to very few journalists travelling to the event, Marquez was asked if he was worried about being on the ground in Qatar.
"I mean, I would like to be in another place," replied the Spaniard, who could potentially seal the world title on Sunday. "But for that reason, I arrived on the latest flight possible and I will leave on the earliest flight possible.
"But we are here, ready to race and fully concentrated."
Marquez's fellow Spaniard Raul Fernandez said there was a feeling of tension in the paddock. His comments during his Spanish media session offered a different perspective from those of Pedro Acosta and Francesco Bagnaia, who said things felt normal.
Fernandez has been passed fit to take part in the weekend, but his broken index finger remains a question mark. He may still have to adapt his braking and use a different finger, as he did a day after the original accident in Indonesia.
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"This is a strange weekend, to be honest," said the Trackhouse Aprilia rider. "I’m not 100% on form, and the situation is a bit tricky. Because the tension we’re all feeling isn’t exactly ideal."
Fernandez said the vibe in the paddock was down to the fact that most people, like Marquez, would prefer to be elsewhere.
Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing
Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images
"It’s no longer about the pressure you put on them," said the man from Madrid. "In the end, I think it’s the pressure felt by the people who come along and don’t really feel like coming.
"Nothing will happen, but the tension of there being a war going on and you being right in the thick of it… for the people working there, it’s not exactly the ideal atmosphere. Especially when you’re under so much pressure over a weekend.
"I think we’ve been very lucky that things have changed a bit on the political front," he said, likely referring to the results of Tuesday's mid-term election in the United States. "In the end, there isn’t really that much cause for alarm."
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