Carmelo Ezpeleta: No spectators, no press, only Europe for now
Carmelo Ezpeleta has provided more information on how he plans to get the 2020 MotoGP World Championship season underway with around 12-13 races to make up the calendar if it doesn’t leave Europe, or 15-16 if it can head overseas.
The Dorna boss has promised the calendar will be published this week (most likely Thursday) as they work on the finer details of rearranging the French MotoGP at Le Mans. He says it is at an advanced stage but confirms the event – one of the best attended on the calendar – will for now take place without spectators.
With that in mind, Ezpeleta says the current plan is to run races behind closed doors until nations allow larger gatherings. Last week there was rumours that Italy could allow a small number of spectators to Misano, but Ezpeleta says that it will play safe for the opening rounds in Jerez on July 19 and July 26.
"At the moment, we are not considering running with the public,” he told AS. “Then, as things evolve, it will be seen. In addition, we will go to different countries so it will depend on the regulations of each country. There is no comparative grievance. If you get to a place and you can with the public, with the public, and if not, well without the public.
“I understand that in soccer some people will not play with the public in his house and others do not, but there is no place on the bikes that belongs to a specific rider. We will race with the public when the authorities allow it and, in principle, the bikes are designed without an audience.”
The same goes for the written press, with Ezpeleta confirming that for the time being only TV rights holders will be allowed to send media personnel.
"For the written press it is the same. If things change later, we will change anything, but at the moment also without the press. The conference room will not be opened press.”
Under existing regulations it would take 13 races to ensure the 2020 MotoGP season is regarded as an FIM World Championship, though the governing body has previously said it would waive that quota due to the extraordinary circumstances of this protracted delay.
Nonetheless, Ezpeleta says 13 rounds remains the aim if MotoGP is only able to conduct its season within European borders. However, it is planning to expand that out to as many as 16 if it can go overseas to the USA, Argentina, Thailand or Malaysia.
However, he says it has until July 31st to make that call meaning they won’t necessarily feature in this week’s provisional schedule.
"We have already made the grand prizes quite clear and what remains is to adjust the dates. We will see how many there are, it could be 12 or 13 if we stay in Europe and up to 15 or 16 if we leave Europe.
“Those from outside Europe we will say at the end of July. We have a July 31 limit to say if we also run outside Europe and there are four that may be, because they are not yet cancelled, which are the United States, Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia. They will be decided on between now and July 31.”
