MotoGP: MotoGP Qatar GP suspended due to coronavirus crisis in Italy

The organizers of the MotoGP World Championship, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) and the Spanish company Dorna, announced on Sunday the cancellation of the MotoGP race of the Qatar Grand Prix to be held next Sunday, March 8 and would mean Start of the World Cup this year. Like other events, from the Chinese Grand Prix of Formula 1 to the Tour of the Arab Emirates of cycling, the decision was related to the expansion of the Covid-19 coronavirus worldwide, although this time it was not for fear of contagion direct from the people involved in the test.

The suspension of the race in Qatar was a direct consequence of an emir directive: as of Sunday 1, all passengers arriving in Doha from the countries most affected by the coronavirus, including Italy, must spend a quarantine of 14 days . Taking into account that three of the championship teams, as well as six drivers and dozens of mechanics, engineers and support workers come from the transalpine country, the test could not be carried out without them.

The intention of the FIM and Dorna, who already valued this matter a few days ago, was to run and from that purpose a rarity follows: the Moto2 and Moto3 s races will be disputed because all the teams were already in Qatar doing these tests some days Pre-season

Some MotoGP riders quickly expressed their outrage on social networks for the sudden change of opinion of the organizing bodies. Was the case Aleix Espargar. “Chapeau the management of the Qatar GP, it has not been possible to do worse! Chapeau!”, Espargar tweets – after deleting the tweet – who learned the news in full flight to Doha with his wife and two children of two years. The Aprilia rider revealed that just 48 hours ago the World Cup organization had reassured the protagonists of the championship in a statement in which they assured that the entire calendar will be maintained.

For another driver, the World Cup champion, Marc Mrquez, the cancellation is a blessing, because you will have more time to recover from your shoulder injury and, at the same time, avoid a circuit that you have not won since 2014.

Thailand in danger

The decision of the FIM and Dorna on Qatar changes its perspective of armoring the championship in the face of the coronavirus crisis and could force a second suspension. The Thai Grand Prix that was to be held on Sunday 22 as the second event of the tournament could also be canceled. In the Asian country there have been fewer cases than in Spain and only one deceased, but it is in an orange state because of the virus and the perspective of the trip to Asia worried some teams.

A few days ago, after the meeting between the organizers of MotoGP, it was announced that the test will continue with several sanitary measures – the spectators will be subjected to thermal scanners at the entrances, for example – but now the situation is different. The World Cup can start directly with the American tour, that is, on April 5 at the Austin circuit. The Covid-19 coronavirus crisis delays the motorcycling show.