MotoGP cancels Dutch, German and Finnish Grands Prix
F1 News
- GPblog.com
It was already a bit coming, but now it's definite. This year there will be no MotoGP race on the Assen circuit in Holland, organizer Dorna came with the announcement wednesday afternoon . That's not the only race that has been cancelled, also the German and Finnish Grand Prix will no longer be on the calendar for this year.
Shifts
The TT of Assen was on the agenda for the end of June, but due to the corona measures that date would not be feasible. Catching up at a later date was initially an option, but that will now be cancelled as well. There is no room on the new calendar for the race in the Netherlands, so MotoGP will not return to the Netherlands until 2021.
That is not the only race that has been definitively cancelled. The German Grand Prix has also been cancelled, as has the Finnish Grand Prix which is completely new on the calendar. The KymiRing would debut as a MotoGP circuit this year, but will have to wait until next year.
Break in tradition
The most painful cancellation is that of the Dutch TT, seen since 1949. At the moment eleven races have been postponed or cancelled and with the start of the season getting later and later it becomes more and more difficult to put all races in an alternative calendar. The result is that races are being sacrificed, including the Dutch Grand Prix.
The organisation of the TT in Assen says in a reaction on its website: "No TT in 2020 is a sad break with our beautiful and illustrious past. No TT is what many would have called unthinkable a few months ago. The TT, which has always been on the World Cup calendar as the only Grand Prix in the world".
At the moment the first planned race - albeit subject to reservations - is the Czech Grand Prix on the circuit of Brno at the beginning of August.