Coronavirus: Updated MotoGP calendar released

In the face of ongoing disruption due to the coronavirus outbreak, Dorna has released an updated version of the 2020 MotoGP calendar.

With Qatar already cancelled for the premier-class and round two in Thailand postponed, the MotoGP riders are now set to hold their first race at what would have been round three in Austin, Texas on April 5.

A new place on the calendar for Thailand - the biggest event of last season with 226,655 spectators - has been found by taking over the planned October 2-4 date for Aragon, which will now be held a week earlier on September 25-27.

The rescheduled Buriram round is thus back where it has been for the previous two years; one weekend before the Japan-Australia-Malaysia tripleheader.

All of which means the MotoGP class still plans to hold 19 of its 20 rounds this season, although the new calendar remains very much at the mercy of government entry restrictions (which halted Qatar) or limits placed on large public gatherings (the postponement in Thailand).

This weekend's grand prix will still go-ahead for the Moto3 and Moto2 classes, since teams and riders were already in Qatar for their final test when the 14-day quarantine rules were placed on recent visitors to Italy.

But many Italians linked to the MotoGP class had already returned home after the premier-class test and so would have been caught up in the new restrictions.

'Italy clearly plays a vital role in the Championship and in the MotoGP class - both on track and off - and therefore the decision has been taken to cancel premier class competition [in Qatar],' read a Dorna statement.

There had been reports that Qatar still hoped to host a MotoGP-only event later this year. However, that scenario is not included in today's calendar...

*Evening race.

**Subject to circuit homologation