Doubts surrounding motorsport in the Middle East continue to grow after MotoGP riders reportedly revived discussions over forming a union and legal action amid concerns surrounding the sport's upcoming Qatar Grand Prix.

According to The Race, riders held a secret meeting on Thursday at the Australian GP to discuss whether to race at the Lusail circuit in just two weeks' time while the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate. It is said two thirds of the grid have voted against racing.

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that more US-Israeli strikes on Iran are planned after the US midterm elections on November 3, with the conflict ongoing since February this year.

While separate to the US-Iran war, the US State Department has also ordered non-essential diplomatic staff and family members to evacuate Saudi Arabia following a series of deadly attacks by Houthi rebels.

The Race report the vote could lead to further action, in the form of riders considering joint legal representation to challenge decisions from teams or the championship that would force them to take part. The situation is also said to have highlighted to several riders the little power they have over decision-making.

Addressing the idea of a MotoGP riders’ union, Tech3 KTM racer Enea Bastianini said: "We have talked, and it is important for everyone to talk together. For our future, it is important. We started two years ago with this [union] project, but we didn’t finalise it, and I think it is important to have a little bit of power. The teams have power, [MotoGP organisers] Dorna have power - but us, we have nothing.

“That isn’t normal, because our world doesn’t exist without us, even if we [also] don’t exist without the [MotoGP] world, so there needs to be a compromise.”

Carlos Sainz questions confidence over F1's Middle East finale with ‘premature’ verdict

Photo: Race Pictures

In F1, FIA President Ben Sulayem has insisted the final two rounds of the season, set to take place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, respectively, "are going to happen," but Williams driver, and the director the F1 drivers' association Carlos Sainz suggested optimism over the season finale may be "premature."

Sainz said on Thursday: "They seem very convinced that it's going to go ahead. I think on my personal side, and not speaking as a GPDA, it's very difficult to be convinced right now because there's still plenty of things happening in the Middle East.

"And also there is obviously an election that is going to happen in the US and things that are going to happen in the political side of the world that could affect the next month and a half very suddenly. So I think it's relatively premature to be so convinced."

Sainz nonetheless said drivers will "follow the lead" of the sport's key decision-makers, given they do not have as much "political information" as F1 and the FIA. Williams later released a clarifying statement on the Spaniard's behalf.