Motegi unlikely. Istanbul Park to replace?

After the devastating earthquake in Japan last month Motegi was postponed until October but it know appears that the damage to the circuit along with the nuclear concerns from Fukushima power plant the round may be cancelled altogether.

Along with the cracks reported to the circuit and the damages to spectator stands, a further problem that is faced is the proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi where the reactors are still leaking. Twin Ring Motegi is 100-miles from the nuclear plant.

The track being touted as a possible replacement for the Japanese round is the Istanbul Park in Turkey, which saw some exciting racing the three years that the series visited the track; with Marco Melandri winning in 2005 and 2006 and Casey Stoner taking the honours in 2007. The only roadblock is that the management rights to the track belong to Bernie Ecclestone.