This morning (2/3), the MotoGP homepage made an official announcement regarding the cancellation of the first race of the MotoGP 2020 season in Qatar. This news is certainly disappointing for speed enthusiasts.
The International Motorcycle Racing Federation (FIM), the Association of MotoGP Racing Teams, and the organizers of the MotoGP 2020 expressed their regret in having to cancel the MotoGP category of the 2020 season. The decision was made due to travel restrictions imposed by Qatar on groups of spectators arriving from Italy.
As per Qatar’s announcement, all passengers arriving in Doha on direct flights from Italy or those who have been in Italy within the past 2 weeks will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Given the significant presence of Italy in MotoGP races, both on and off the track, the decision to cancel the opening race of the MotoGP 2020 in Qatar was made. The Grand Prix of Qatar was originally scheduled to take place this weekend, from 6th to 8th March.
Regarding the other two categories, Moto2 and Moto3, it is likely that they will proceed as planned as the riders and teams have already been at the Losail International Circuit for testing earlier this week. Additionally, there has been no announcement regarding the cancellation of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup race.
Italy continues to be the third-largest COVID-19 outbreak in the world. According to a report by the Italian Civil Protection Department (CPD) on March 1st, the country reported an additional 5 deaths attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of fatalities to 34. Furthermore, there has been a sharp increase in new cases with nearly 1,700 reported.
Trang Nguyen (forum.autodaily.vn)