'An act of responsibility' - MotoGP riders talk Qatar Covid vaccinations

The 'vast majority' of the MotoGP paddock, including riders, are expected to take up Qatar's offer of a Covid vaccination.

MotoGP has been present in the country for the recent pre-season tests, which will be followed by back-to-back season-opening night races at the Losail circuit on March 28 and April 4.

Eventual world champion Joan Mir revealed that the most stressful part of last year was getting the pre-event Covid result, which if positive would mean missing at least one race.

Valentino Rossi and Iker Lecuona were ruled out of 2020 MotoGP events due to Covid, while the virus tragically claimed the life of team boss Fausto Gresini over the winter break.

Given the amount of travel involved, the potential for members of the MotoGP paddock to not only become infected but unintentionally spread Covid is obvious.

But F1 organisers opted to turn down a similar offer by the Bahrain government on the grounds that they didn't want to jump the vaccine queue ahead of local members of the public, although teams and drivers were free to make their own decisions:

'As a UK-based organisation [F1] has no plans to be vaccinated as a travelling group ahead of the already established rollout of vaccines through the health system in the UK'.

The flip side is that, by accepting the vaccine in Qatar, MotoGP paddock members will be freeing-up a vaccination place in their home countries.

In terms of public vaccinations carried out in Qatar, Reuters reports that: 'Qatar has administered at least 327,000 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 5.8% of the country’s population.

'During the last week reported, Qatar averaged about 11,000 doses administered each day. At that rate, it will take a further 52 days to administer enough doses for another 10% of the population.'

The exact vaccine being offered to MotoGP was not disclosed, but the 'Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use by the [Qatar] Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control'.

Following a quiet end to MotoGP pre-season testing due to wind and dust at Losail on Friday, some riders spoke about their reasons for accepting the vaccine.

Pol Espargaro:

"Yes, I took the vaccine. I think we need to be responsible about it. We are flying around the globe with thousands of people travelling in different countries, and we can also be contagious to the countries where we go, but also to the people who are surrounding us at home.

"So it's about responsibility. To do this job, and to take the vaccine for us and for the other people, especially for the ones we love most. So that's why we take it."

Valentino Rossi:

"Yes, we did the vaccine this morning and I'm very happy because it's a great step for our normal life during the season, without having the nightmare to see somebody who has covid and miss 2-3 races like happened to me last year. I think that Carmelo with Dorna together with Qatar they give to us a big help and I'm very happy."

Jack Miller:

"Yeah. No doubts. I think we are very fortunate to get this opportunity to get the vaccine so early. I know Australia is trying to roll it out, but getting enough vaccines, not only for the normal people but also the people working in hospitals or elderly. So for us to be able to get this, especially as we were working in a high-risk environment with the travelling and all that, I think we are so fortunate that MotoGP and the Qatar government have come together and allowed us to get it.

"No doubts, vaccines are there for the common good of the people, same as a smallpox vaccines, everything you do as a child. I'm no doctor, sure there's worst things in the world for me than the tiny little insertion of a vaccine. So we will get the other vaccine before the second race in Qatar, I think, and everything should be one then. I know I'm not completely immune, but at least it's one step in the right direction in this coronavirus fight, let's say."

Joan Mir:

"Well, I didn't get the vaccine at the moment, I think that we have in mind to get in the next days. I cannot say 'no, give it to other people'. It's an opportunity that I have, and also, we travel around the world and probably if I have it, it's an act of responsibility, not the other way around.

"Because we can infect a lot of people because we travel a lot. Due to our job, not because we are on holidays. So it's true that a lot of people need it, but I have to say thank you to MotoGP that make the possibility to have it, and also to Qatar. I talked with doctors about it, because I don't have any information about it, and my personal team asked if it's any problem or not, and I think that I will get it.

"Yes [I will stay in Qatar until the race weekend]. Another act of responsibility! It was a recommendation of the team. All the people in the team are staying. This means a lot of people with families and children are staying, and I don't see it fair that if they stay I can go back home.

"It's true that I am a rider, I train. They can work on the computer in the hotel. But I can train anyway in Qatar. I stay with my team, and it's not the end of the world, we will be in a luxury hotel. It doesn't matter."

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta:

"The government of Qatar, where the vaccination programme is going so well, offered us the opportunity to vaccinate the paddock and that's something amazing for us. The whole MotoGP Family appreciate it so much. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you very much to the government of Qatar.

"…Every individual decides whether or not to be accept. The vast majority of people have accepted and are so happy to do it, some people for different reasons they can't. But we're extremely happy because these vaccinations permit us to increase safety and decrease contamination. It's very important for safety, of course in Qatar and especially the other Grands Prix.

"The MotoGP family, the vast majority, will be vaccinated."

Ezpeleta also made the argument that, as role models, MotoGP riders can help influence the acceptance of Covid vaccines:

"Our riders are people who are very popular, especially for the younger generation. They are very careful about their health and make their decisions to be as strong as they can, and avoiding infection.

"We demonstrated last year with our bubble that it's possible to work around the world with few cases, and even those I hope with the vaccinations can be reduced.

"I think it's an important model for society and thanks to Qatar, we have the chance to show the world how important it is for all our heroes to be vaccinated."