Paris (AFP)
The Americas Motorcycle Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place from April 3 to 5 in Austin, Texas, has been postponed from November 13 to 15 due to the epidemic of new coronavirus, the organizers said in a statement Tuesday.
To allow this postponement, the Championship final in Valencia (Spain) was postponed from November 15 to 22, specify the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), IRTA (International Road-Racing Teams Association), which represents the teams, and Dorna Sports, the promoter of MotoGP.
What should initially have been the third round of the season is also the third to be affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
The inaugural GP in Qatar on Sunday was canceled in the MotoGP category due to restrictions on the movement of people from Italy. The Moto2 and Moto3 races, on the other hand, took place, with drivers and teams already on site for testing.
The Thailand GP, originally scheduled for March 22, was postponed to October 4 in all categories.
The start of the MotoGP season is therefore handed over to the Argentine GP on April 19, unless further postponement.
Several other motorsport events have been postponed to dates yet to be determined, including the Chinese Formula 1 GP scheduled for April 19 in Shanghai. The Bahrain GP on March 22 will take place behind closed doors.
Updated calendar for the 2020 season of the World Motorcycle Speed Championship:
March 8: Qatar Grand Prix in Moto2 and Moto3 categories (Losail international circuit)
April 19: Argentine Grand Prix (Baths of Rio Hondo)
May 3: Spanish Grand Prix (Jerez circuit - Angel Nieto)
May 17: Grand Prix de France (Bugatti circuit, Le Mans)
May 31: Italian Grand Prix (Mugello circuit)
June 7: Catalonia Grand Prix (Barcelona-Catalonia circuit, Montmelo)
June 21: German Grand Prix (Sachsenring, Hohenstein-Ernstthal)
June 28: Grand Prix of the Netherlands (Assen circuit)
July 12: Finnish Grand Prix (KymiRing)
August 9: Czech Republic Grand Prix (Brno circuit)
August 16: Austrian Grand Prix (Red Bull Ring, Spielberg)
August 30: British Grand Prix (Silverstone circuit)
September 13: Grand Prix of San Marino (Misano Marco Simoncelli circuit)
September 27: Grand Prix of Aragon (MotorLand Aragon, Alcaniz)
October 4: Thai Grand Prix (international circuit of Buriram)
October 18: Japanese Grand Prix (Twin Ring Motegi)
October 25: Australian Grand Prix (Phillip Island)
November 1: Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang international circuit)
November 15: Grand Prix of the Americas (circuit of the Americas, Austin)
November 22: Valencia Grand Prix (Ricardo Tormo circuit)
© 2020 AFP