With the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on sports-event calendars around the world, World Championship motorcycle racing at the MotoGP level will finally get underway on July 19 at the Jerez circuit in Spain.
Jerez will be the location of the first of several double-headers with back-to-back races — the second just 7 days later on July 26.
Here is the MotoGP press release (the revised calendar is posted above):
A minimum of 13 more events will take place starting on July 19th at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in this new 2020 MotoGP™ calendar
MotoGP™ is back. That’s right, the 2020 MotoGP™ calendar is out with a minimum of 13 – 14 for Moto2™ and Moto3™ – more races taking place between July and November, with possibly four more races outside of Europe taking place up to December the 13th. Check out the brand-new 2020 calendar below:
The MotoGP™ season will start at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in Spain with the Gran Premio Red Bull de España on July 19th and the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía on July 26th. Following a weekend off, we’ll head to the Czech Republic for the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky at Brno, before the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich and the Grand Prix von Styria at the Red Bull Ring in Austria all in the space of three weeks.
Three weeks later, the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will host the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini and the Gran Premio di Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini, rounds six and seven of the MotoGP™ World Championship, on consecutive weekends, with the rescheduled Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya just one week later.
On October 11th, MotoGP™ will head to France with the rescheduled SHARK Helmets Grand Prix de France taking place at Le Mans. Just one week later, the fourth double-header of the season will take place in Aragon – the Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragón and the Gran Premio de Teruel. Then, two weeks later, the final two European rounds will take place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with the European Grand Prix taking place on November 8th and the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana taking place on November 15th.
However, we could see a maximum of 17 rounds taking place with four races potentially on the cards outside of Europe between November 22nd and December 13th. The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, Grano Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina, OR Thailand Grand Prix and Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix will all be confirmed before July 31st.
All dates, events and the eventual attendance of spectators are subject to the evolution of the pandemic and the approval of the corresponding Governments and authorities.
the spainish word cup again
Even an abbreviated season will be better than no season. Can’t wait for them to race again.
I assume these races are going to be without spectators as well.
Also wonder if Dorna is going to prorate my viewing package for next year?
No doubt. Immediately upon the conclusion of last season they auto-debited my account for something like $150. That fee used to include pre-season testing. This year, it didn’t, and now this is the season we’re getting?
They really should prorate the fee for next season.
I’ll be happy to see any live racing this year. Good to have the old races to watch but not good enough.
Sure hope Dorna gives us some kind of credit. Surely they will?
LOL…well the question has been answered. Just got an email from Dorna saying they were going to extend my season video pass until the first race of 2021.
Is that really an extension? I don’t think so ………………
I received the same email. What a joke. Giving me a video pass to the off-season? Even worse, it doesn’t include all the timed winter test sessions. It didn’t this past off-season, anyway.
Any mention of TV coverage? NBC Sports?
Seven of the thirteen rounds are in Spain. Only two Italian rounds. No Mugello.
WTF? Why have two Misano rounds, and no Mugello? They’re only a couple of hours away from each other. Split them up. Give each circuit one round. Or, if you insist on giving both rounds to one circuit, come on, it has to be Mugello, not Misano.
And no Assen? Wow. The three best rounds of the year (Assen, Mugello, Phillip Island), all gone. I can see tossing Phillip Island in order to keep the travel confined to Europe, but how can you ditch the two most iconic rounds on the calendar, Assen and Mugello?
In any case, this looks like the usual Spanish Powers That Be, DORNA and Repsol, gift-wrapped the schedule specifically for the benefit of a certain #93.
and whom is preventing you from organizing a MotoGP league and assigning races to all the places you want?
Non sequitur: noun
Definition of non sequitur
1 : an inference that does not follow from the premises
specifically: a fallacy resulting from a simple conversion of a
universal affirmative proposition or from the transposition of a
condition and its consequent
2 : a statement (such as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said
“We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog.”
spot on!!!
“In any case, this looks like the usual Spanish Powers That Be, DORNA and Repsol, gift-wrapped the schedule specifically for the benefit of a certain #93.”
if you follow GP at all you know they have been working tirelessly with gov’ts to try and get races in different countries. Because of Covid some countries said flat no, some wanted a 14 day quarantine after entering the country, one said no one from Britain. Considering the state of the world with Covid it’s amazing that they could put together a season at all.
I don’t blame them for running the races in the coutries that will let them, even if it’s at limited venues.
The option was no MotoGP for 2020.
Sorry, mickey, but that doesn’t explain why we get two rounds at Misano and none at Mugello, or seven rounds in Spain and only two in Italy.
If Italy is allowing Misano to hold races, then Mugello would also be allowed to host a round. If Italy is allowing races, then they would allow more than two. Spain was hit just as hard by the virus as Italy was, and Spain was awarded seven rounds.
Conversely, how badly was The Netherlands hit by the virus? Anywhere near as badly as Spain, France, or Italy?
Nope. Not even close.
So you are saying they never even made an attempt to schedule a race at those venues?
I dont believe that for one second. It’s more likely the venues turned them down since they couldn’t collect spectator revenue.
Why would Misano accept two rounds with no spectator revenue, but Mugello said no? Why would Assen say no? Why would any circuit that will otherwise lie idle say no?
I cant say, but I know Dorna was working hard to get tracks to run on, and they wanted tracks that would allow back to back weekends. I read some tracks like Circuit of Americas laid off all staff and closed down. Not sure what the Euro tracks are doing. Maybe it’s a conflict of timing thing. I also know Dorna wanted 20 races if they could get them. But looks like they can only get 13. If additional tracks WANTED races, and would allow foreign visitors without 14 days quarantine, I’m sure Dorna would love to run there.
Here ya go VLJ, a quote from the CEO of Mugello
“Despite the communal effort made to find a practical solution, the impossibility of staging an event that is open to spectators, as well as the difficulties that have arisen from this exceptional situation, have not allowed us to find a new date for the Italian Grand Prix,” said Paulo Poli, CEO of Mugello Circuit in …
I expect many of these choices are driven by economy and lost revenue.
AMA Supercross is having 7 rounds in one (empty) stadium to finish their season. Everyone is camping in SLC Utah for a few weeks.
Of course that’s the reason, at least for keeping everything confined to the Continent. Even so, why two Misano rounds, and no Mugello? Why seven Spanish rounds, and no Assen? We have a round in the Czech Republic, another in northern France, and two in Austria, but they can’t figure out a way to fit Assen in there somewhere, perhaps in place of one of the others? Mugello is very near to Misano, and Assen is very near to every other stop on this abbreviated schedule. It’s literally only a few hours from Le Mans.
I love Brno, but it isn’t as iconic or important as Assen. Spielburg, even less so. Misano isn’t remotely as iconic or beloved as Mugello, plus the riders prefer Mugello.
None of this makes much sense, unless you’re rooting for Marquez.
We don’t get to know the reasons but I still think it’s simple economics and forecasting. If the tracks can’t do it profitably, or less loss than they’re already experiencing, it’s a no. Different countries have different rules, too. Tough to know but no surprise that the country where MotoGP is HQ’d is having more races. Also, hosting multiple races at a venue cuts travel expenses.
The Scam/Plandemic is working out nicely
For whom is the pandemic working out? This isn’t working out for anyone.
Exactly.
You took the bait Dave.
What “bait”?
There’s no “bait”. There’s nothing anybody wants with this.
Dave. You must not have seen too many of TimC’s posts. He’s just trolling.
If you think there is a conspiracy related to the virus I suggest you explore it with TimC in some other venue.
Ah, gotcha’ Motoman. I should’ve known better..
I’m not trolling. I’m just making the point that there are those of us who think this is all by design. I’m just not going to explain it every time.
VLJ – I agree with you 100%. I was going to reply that Paul’s snarky comment was uncalled for given that you made several strong arguments, but I decided to let it pass. Your definition of non sequitur was perfect.