MotoGP intends to kick off the season at the end of July
After long discussions amid the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak, MotoGP has announced concrete plans to finally kick off the 2020 season.
The coronavirus outbreak has put the MotoGP championship on hold before the premier class of the series could have completed the season-opening race weekend. The top two-wheel competition has postponed or cancelled the first eight grand prix since.
Although the original calendar indicates that the Brno race kicks off the season following the changes, MotoGP has announced plans to start the 2020 championship earlier. Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta held an electronic meeting with Juan Antonio Marín, Vice President of the Regional Government of Andalusia; Mamen Sánchez Díaz, Mayor of Jerez de la Frontera, discussing the possibility of staging a race in Jerez in the second half of July.
The three parties have made a proposal to the Spanish government to organise two FIM MotoGP™ World Championship Grands Prix at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto on the weekends of the 19th and 26th of July, respectively. Just a week after the second race, the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship could hold its season-opening meeting at the same venue on the 2nd of August.
All races are set to be staged behind closed doors without the attendance of fans. In order to separate the two races for the MotoGP championship, the first event would be the Grand Prix of Spain while the second race would be staged under the name of the Grand Prix of Andalusia.
The MotoGP machines last hit the track during the Qatar pre-season testing while the Moto2 and Moto3 categories were in race action in Doha, completing their season-opening race. The championship intends to hold a test on the Wednesday before the first weekend in order to give the drivers the chance to get into a rhythm following the long time away from race tracks.
Ezpeleta has revealed that his company in is constant talk with different tracks, promoters and authorities to establish a new calendar for the 2020 MotoGP season. With the coronavirus having a big impact on the entire motorsport, the Spaniard warned that it will be a huge challenge for the different series to avoid clashes.
"We are going through similar procedures with the governments in each country we want to go to, but that’s separate and we think maybe by the first part of June we can propose a calendar. Definitively. We’re looking at different dates, but we’re also waiting for the F1 calendar – and it will be difficult because it’s a short time and there will be many events – to try and avoid clashes with Formula 1."
