‘Perhaps they could do baking instead…’
Once upon a time, it was hard to keep abreast of racing’s relentless expansion. Breaking news is a bit different in these dark days. After years of exponential growth – new races and new tracks for Indonesia, Brazil, Finland, Andorra – the news feed has changed.
Now it’s what races are going to be cancelled next.
Sadly, one among several casualties is the British GP.
By now we should have been six races in to a record-length 20-round season, with the Italian GP at Mugello last Sunday. Instead, the only real racing was in the USA. The AMA Superbike series had become a poor relation over the past couple of decades. In 2020, it’s leading the way. Quite how much fun it was without the spectators we will never know. But to be honest, given sporadic US race attendance, maybe not that different.
There has been some real testing, but even this has been limited. For example, KTM had to do without Brad Binder, locked down in South Africa, the airports all closed. Missing Silverstone is obviously a blow, but more Britons watch it on telly than trackside. It really doesn’t matter where the races are. As long as it is in an amenable time zone. So with Spain likely to host not just the first races, but at least three others; all of them potentially double-headers, that is at least convenient for the sofa fans.
But all this remains not only uncertain, but at best more than a month away – mid-July mooted for things to start at Jerez.
So let’s think of something positive for the meantime. Never mind those PlayStation races, here are some other ideas for Dorna to exploit, to make the most of rider-TV appeal.
MotoGP Strictly Come Dancing. Take your partners please, and let’s see whether Rossi in his forties can compete at Futsal Shuffle. If Dovi can maintain his magisterial dignity while doing the Tik-Tok.
Then there’s MotoGP Bake-Off. Mary Berry passing judgement on the full grid. But would you really eat a Victoria sponge cooked by Cal Crutchlow, who sustained one of his worst injuries – a severed tendon in his hand – when the knife slipped while cutting cheese?
Not to mention MotoGP I’m A Celebrity. MotoGP Big Brother. The Only Way is MotoGP. And who’d win? My money’s on Marquez.
‘MotoGP Bake Off? It could be dangerous’