MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia has revealed his fears about a potential Doha airport closure as the final round of the season goes ahead this weekend in Qatar.

Safety concerns surrounding the current conflict in the Middle East have overshadowed this weekend’s final round in Lusail. Japanese team Yamaha have withdrawn from the event, ruling out four riders and leaving 18 on the grid. The majority of MotoGP media are not in attendance, either.

Teams were reportedly sent emergency shelter locations and safety protocols on Thursday, including guidelines such as “move to cover right away”, avoid lifts in hotels and not to “touch or photograph any debris.”

A total of 19 riders, out of 22 on the grid, had made it known that they did not want to travel to Qatar – and Italian rider Bagnaia has publicised his biggest concern.

“I expected the atmosphere in the paddock to be like a normal weekend because there’s nothing… I feel that here we don’t have to be afraid of a bombing,” he said.

“The only fear we might have is that they’ll close the airport. But I trust them, and I want to continue to do so.”

Championship leader Marc Marquez, in an awkward press conference on Thursday in which just one question was asked about the safety fears due to the lack of media on-site, admitted he will leave Qatar on the “earliest flight possible” after the race.

“I mean, I would like to be in another place,” he said.

“For that reason, I arrived on the latest flight possible, and I will leave on the earliest flight possible. But we are here, we are ready to race, and with full concentration.”

Nine-time world champion Marquez can wrap up the title if he outscores Jorge Martin by 30 points and Marco Bezzecchi by eight points across the two races.

The event takes place just three weeks before F1 is scheduled to race its penultimate round at the same circuit just outside of Doha. The F1 season is scheduled to end in Abu Dhabi on 6 December. A final call is expected to be made on the Middle East races by Tuesday, with the back-up of a one-off round in Imola.