MOTOGP RELEASES PROVISIONAL 2021 CALENDAR

Dorna and the FIM have released the first draft calendar for the 2021 MotoGP season, which works on the presumption of international travel resuming and includes mostly familiar rounds, but adds three circuits as reserve, should COVID-19 conditions change.

The 2021 provisional calendar actually reads a lot like the 2020 calendar before it was turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic and re-invented as a Europe-only series.

Australia holds its late-October slot as part of the flyaways for next year’s season, the familiar opener at Qatar and finale at Valencia are retained, but the notable changes are Thailand being moved to later in the year, the removal of a round at Brno and the 2021 season starting almost a full month later than usual.

While 20 rounds have been listed, only 19 circuits have been confirmed so far, with a ‘TBC’ date and circuit between mid-July and mid-August (MotoGP’s traditional mid-Summer break) that will be presumably used to shuffle other rounds as required by COVID-19 conditions.

Dorna have placed a lot of “hopefullys” and “maybes” in the press release for the draft calendar, so

don’t be surprised if that TBC date comes into play, especially given repeated surges of coronavirus cases that may well see another season start within Europe.

The interesting addition is a trio of ‘reserve’ grands prix, which includes Portimao (this year’s final round) and the all-new circuits of Mandalika in Indonesia and Igora Drive in Russia.

Interestingly, Mandalika, on South Lombok Island, is described as a street circuit, which is a first in modern MotoGP history – the championship hasn’t raced at a recognised street circuit since Imatra in Finland and San Carlos in Venezuela in the late 1970s (The Nurburgring Strecke course from the 1990s and Assen are both considered as race circuits, rather than road courses).

Should it go ahead next year, Mandalika will host the first Indonesian Grand Prix since 1997.

Igora Drive is a purpose-built circuit, located near St. Petersburg in northern Russia that’s part of a larger complex that includes oval track, rallycross and even motocross circuits. It was due to host its first four-wheel international events this year before the pandemic forced cancellations.

The KymiRing in Finland remains subject to FIM homologation, but if it gains that and some early rounds are cancelled, Igora Drive could follow the Finnish GP in the vacant TBC slot. Regardless of when it actually hosts a race, Igora Drive will be a first, as there’s never been a Russian MotoGP round.

Igora Drive may be added to the provisional calendar for World Superbikes, as that championship has talked about visiting three “all-new” circuits in 2021.

Whether next year’s rounds will allow fans has yet to be confirmed, nor has the possibility of increased staff and personnel, condensed schedules or changes to race formats.