With its 2020 calendar thrown into disarray by Covid-19 and lockdowns across the world, MotoGP has come up with a plan for a 12 to 16 race season. “Our idea was to start at the end of July and to continue planning events in Europe until the middle of November, more or less, and from then on in warmer climates, where we can race from November to December,” said Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
Should continuing the MotoGP season in Asia not be possible then the 2020 season will conclude in Europe, added Ezpeleta. Dorna, along with the regional government of Andalusia and the city council of Jerez de la Frontera is forwarding a proposal to the Spanish government to hold two MotoGP rounds at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto on the weekends of July 19 and 26, followed by a World Superbike Championship (WSBK) round the weekend following, on August 2.
The races will be held with a reduced MotoGP contingent, around 1,300 people, including teams, track personnel and broadcast media. Discussions are also taking place with authorities in the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy on the possibility of resuming circuit racing in the respective countries.
Per Dorna’s proposal, teams from outside Europe will have to arrive at least 14 days before race day and henceforth stay in Europe till the conclusion of the race season. “Then, all the teams, including the Europeans, will have to do a test before leaving their countries, no later than 4 days before they arrive at the first Grand Prix, which will be in Spain,” Ezpeleta said.
On arrival at the circuit, another test for Covid-19 will be administered and medical teams will constantly monitor all at the track for symptoms and check body body temperature. “There will be a protocol put in place should something happen and how we’ll deal with it,” Ezpeleta continued.
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