Valencia will not hold the MotoGP season finale despite promotor Dorna’s initial plans to race there despite the tragic flooding in the region, Autosport understands.
Autosport also understands that Dorna is looking for an alternative venue to host the race – probably at a later date than the scheduled 15-17 November weekend.
With the paddock set up at Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, meetings are taking place between the parties involved in what is a very critical decision, given the sensitivity of the matter.
As early as Thursday, Dorna’s initial idea, coordinated with the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme), was to try to keep the Valencia circuit as the chosen venue for the last Grand Prix of the season.
In the hours that followed, the possibility of moving the race a week later to Sunday 24th November briefly emerged as an option – one that was even communicated to several riders on the MotoGP grid.
However, Autosport tunderstands that by Friday afternoon there had been a considerable change in viewpoint among Dorna bosses, who began to consider Valencia unfeasible.
With that in mind, the Spanish company’s directors are already working to find an alternative to close the title fight between Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia, which could be resolved this Sunday in Malaysia – although only in favour of the Spaniard. Martin would have to score 21 points more than the Italian to settle the championship.
Photo by: Paco Alcobendas
Pending the first official communication from the championship beyond that made by Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta on Thursday to AS newspaper – “In principle, the original date [of the event] is maintained,” he said on Thursday – the devastating news from Spain has made it impossible to hold the race in Valencia, where all planned sporting events have been cancelled this weekend.
The official death toll was 158 earlier on Friday, although forecasts point to a much higher figure given the number of people still missing.
In this context, in which up to 20 towns are without drinking water and the army is deployed in the area, Dorna’s directors have finally reached the conclusion that there seems to be no possible justification for organising a grand prix in Valencia.
There had already been very strong statements by riders such as Marc Marquez and Bagnaia, who on Friday insisted that he did not plan to travel to Valencia to race there, even if it would cost him…
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