Donington Park, Assen, Qatar 2020 WorldSBK rounds cancelled

Dorna has confirmed the Donington Park, Assen and Qatar rounds of the 2020 WorldSBK Championship have now been cancelled, marking the first time where won’t be a British round on the calendar since the series’ inauguration in 1988.

The trio of events have been listed as TBC/TBD for several weeks even after the series organisers announced a rearranged nine round schedule, including the already completed Phillip Island event.

Now the series has confirmed Donington Park – which hosted the very first WorldSBK round 32 years ago - won’t go ahead this year at all, together with the Dutch and Qatari events.

“I am personally very sad to announce the subsequent cancellations of the three rounds,” confirmed Gregorio Lavilla, Executive Director of the Sporting and Organisation Departments. “As a fan of our sport, I am extremely saddened not to go to WorldSBK’s birthplace at Donington Park and the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ at Assen, a track which has featured on our calendar uninterrupted since 1992. 

“I am equally as sad not to not have the spectacle of a night race in Qatar, always something we look forward to. We explored all avenues in order to find a solution but unfortunately, one could not be found. However, this mustn’t cast a cloud over the Championship. 

“The majority of our events in 2020 will happen and plans for a full, complete 2021 are well underway. We would like to thank everyone involved for their tireless work and cooperation, and also the fans for waiting patiently before our season resumes.”

Despite the losses, the 2020 WorldSBK Championship will run to a substantial nine events and 27 races, short of the 13 events and 39 races it had originally planned.