Tough challenge for MotoGP and race promoters - Ezpeleta
After MotoGP announced the the draft of its all-new 2020 calendar, Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has revealed that work was still ongoing behind to scenes regarding some of the postponed races.
MotoGP has revealed its healily-modified 2020 calendar that will see the championship finally get underway at Jerez on July 19. Just like Formula One, the premier class of motorcycle racing also intends to resume race action with European rounds as travel restrictions are still placing flyaway races into uncertainty.
Ezpeleta has revealed that it has been a very tough task for the Commercial Rights Holder Dorna Sports and the race promoters to assess the feasibility of different events given the uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic has presented with its constantly changing and evolving nature.
“It has been hard work from our side and from the side of the promoters, finally we obtained these possibilities. Once we had the protocol approved then we are able to propose this calendar. In principle we have some circuits where we will repeat races one week after another, because this is easy for movement and to maintain the protocol, although there are others where we will have just one race.”
The Barcelona-born has also set the deadline of the end of July to make a final decision regarding the revised 2020 calendar while he also confirmed that the season can not run after December 13.
„We thought when we ran into the problem of the pandemic, we realised we can do 13 races and then if it’s possible to go outside Europe it will be interesting. The races outside Europe need to be confirmed before the end of July, then also our agreement with the manufacturers and with the teams is to finish the Championship no later than the 13th of December, that means we need to decide which of the races to do, if all of them are possible, and we will decide which races we will have outside Europe.”
Eight grands prix incuding the races in Qatar, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, have already been cancelled. Of the non-European rounds, four ones still have the chance to go ahead this year, but Ezpeleta has confirmed that the quickly changing coronavirus situation is casting doubts over the feasibility of those events.
„We are waiting to see the development of health measures in other countries, in the States, Argentina, Malaysia and Thailand, and then we will see what is possible to include in the calendar.”
„All the races outside of Europe are pending and we don’t know exactly. If there are no races outside Europe then the Championship will finish like every year in Valencia, if not it depends which races are able to do it but Malaysia is one possibility, yes.”
Last year, the MotoGP family introduced a new class to motorcycle racing. The FIM Enel MotoE World Cup that uses only electric motorcycles supported MotoGP at four of the European rounds in 2019. After winning two races and finished all the other rounds inside the top 5, Matteo Ferrari clinched the title in front of Bradley Smith and Eric Granado.
Ezpeleta has revealed that the technically interesting MotoE category is set to contest on three different locations this year.
„There will be five rounds: two in Jerez, two in Misano and one round in France. The second Misano round and the Le Mans round will have two races.”
