Spanish Motogp postponed due to coronavirus
PARIS: The Spanish Motogp due to be staged on May 3 has become the latest sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has obliged the event to be rescheduled,” organisers announced on Thursday.
“As the situation remains in a state of constant evolution, a new date for the Spanish GP cannot be confirmed until it becomes clearer when exactly it will be possible to hold the event,” a statement added.
The postponement of the race at the Jerez circuit follows the cancellation of the elite category season-opening Motogp in Qatar.
The next three legs of the 2020 calendar in Thailand, Texas and Argentina have also been put on ice, with Dorna, the series promoter, hoping to run them in the second half of a truncated season.
Dorna has already said it will push back the end of the season two weeks to Nov. 29.
“A revised calendar will be published as soon as available,” Thursday’s statement from the promoter and FIM, motor cycling’s ruling body, added.
The season is now due to open with the French Grand Prix at Le Mans’ Bugatti circuit on May 17.
In the elite motorcycling championship, the 2020 season has yet to start. Teams, riders and organisers are trying to work out how they can rearrange the calendar, make up for financial losses and ensure a level track technically.
As things stand, the revised season will end with two gruelling blocks of three races in three weeks, with just one week off in between
“Physically we can manage everything,” said Suzuki rider Joan Mir from Spain. “Mentally it will put us all to the test.”
Financially, Motogp teams need to race, Herve Poncharal, the boss of the French Tech3 team, KTM’S satellite in Motogp and Moto3, told AFP.
“If there are no more GPS, there is no more income linked to sponsors and prize money,” he said.
Racing on tracks without paying fans is not an attractive option.
“Closed-door racing, economically speaking, is unplayable. We need income,” he said.
Johan Stigefelt, who manages team SRT, a satellite of Yamaha that races in all three classes, tried to find an upside if more races are lost.