Riders make a statement for peace in Europe during the group photo – Franco Morbidelli appeals to politicians to decide with their heart
UNITED FOR PEACE. With this message, the 24 MotoGP riders lined up for the traditional class photo on the home straight of the Losail International Circuit on Thursday. This weekend sees the start of the 2022 racing season in Qatar, while war is raging in Ukraine.
“Peace”.
“It’s distressing to hear what’s happening there,” says Jack Miller. “These are difficult times and it makes them even more difficult. The world we live in today is not an easy world. My thoughts are with those affected in Ukraine and Russia. I hope that we will have peace again soon.”
There are currently no riders from Ukraine and Russia in the World Motorcycle Championship. Unlike Formula 1, there was also no race on Russian soil on the calendar. In this regard, MotoGP promoter Dorna Sport did not have to react.
“It’s distressing to hear what’s happening there,” said Jack Miller. “These are difficult times and it makes them even more difficult. The world we live in today is not an easy world. My thoughts are with those affected in Ukraine and Russia. I hope that we will have peace again soon.”
There are currently no riders from Ukraine and Russia in the World Motorcycle Championship. Unlike Formula 1, there was also no race on Russian soil on the calendar. In this regard, MotoGP promoter Dorna Sport did not have to react.
“It’s very difficult to understand even for me,” Marc Marquez says about the war in Europe. “I don’t know how it could come to such a point in 2022. I also can’t understand how we can’t stop it. I don’t understand many things.”
“We can state that we are trying to support all these people. All these families and children who are suffering from the war there. But this is too little. These people are much more important than us. This has to be stopped. All I can say is that we fully support them. “
At 35, Andrea Dovizioso is the oldest rider in the field. He is stunned by last week’s news: “It’s very bad what is happening there. We can’t decide this, unfortunately. It’s a very difficult situation. To find answers is very difficult.”
Franco Morbidelli has a message for the policy makers: “I hope that those people who are responsible for this nightmare listen to their hearts and react. They should not only act with their heads, but also with their hearts.”
“The situation in Europe is a big mess. There are many things going on. I can only say with certainty that military conflicts are not good. It is not good at all when people suffer – women suffer, children suffer. It breaks my heart. “