No spectators at Qatar GP: paddock on lockdown

The weekend of the Qatar Grand Prix will be different from any other. Not only because the MotoGP will not be racing, but also because of other extraordinary measures taken in the paddock of the Losail circuit, as our colleague, Niki Kovacs, explained about the situation in Qatar in one of our podcasts.

Carmelo Ezpeleta said that the GP will not be held behind closed doors and, actually, the (few) stands at Losail will remain open, but the paddock will be on lockdown.

The Qatari government has asked Dorna to take this measure in order to avoid contact between spectators and the World Championship working staff.

The paddock is usually an exclusive area, only open to guests of the teams or the organizer, like sponsors or celebrities. In Qatar, however, no one except staff members will be able to cross that threshold, and everyone will need a "work" pass to enter the paddock.

As specified, spectators will still be able to enter the circuit and see the race from the stands, but no one will have access to the "behind the scenes" of the World Championship.