THE merry-go-round that is the 2021 MotoGP championship calendar continues to evolve and change thanks to COVID-19. The latest changes involve the COTA round and Motegi.
The loss of the Motegi round will mark the second year in a row that the country has not hosted a MotoGP event. On both occasions now, the global coronavirus pandemic has put pay to the race, with international travel on both occasions making the event untenable.
Standing in for Motegi is a round that many fans will have missed in 2020, the Americas MotoGP round at COTA will be on the calendar for the first time since 2019. The event is scheduled to take place from October 1 - 3.
Another update to the calendar is to the Grand Prix of Thailand, which has been delayed by one week and will now take place October 15 – 17.
The official statement from MotoGP officials reads:
‘The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports can now announce a new date for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The event was previously postponed and will now take place from the 1st to the 3rd of October 2021.
The OR Grand Prix of Thailand will therefore take place a week later than previously scheduled, from the 15th to the 17th of October.
The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports must also confirm the cancellation of the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and resulting travel complications and logistical restrictions mean that it has not been possible to confirm the event at this time, meaning that it will therefore not feature on the 2021 calendar. The FIM MotoGP Championship looks forward to returning to race in front of the Japanese fans at their home Grand Prix in 2022.’
