The entrance to the Losail International Circuit photographed by us while visiting the MotoGP race in March 2019. Here, of all places, where the calendar chaos began last year, some stubborn guys now want to start the new 2021 season.

MotoGP planning seems more than clumsy

Heute ist klar: Die Regierungen aller europäischen und vieler anderer Länder sind “in Globo” gescheitert, was bedeutet, völlig gescheitert. Um ihre Wähler und Steuerzahler nicht zu verärgern, haben sie alle einen viel zu nachlässigen Kurs in Bezug auf Beschränkungen und Sperrungen eingeschlagen. Noch bevor die gefährlichsten Mutationen auftraten, hatten Experten im Herbst spätestens ab Dezember einen dramatischen Verlauf vorhergesagt. In Österreich verteilte ein Engländer die Mutation innerhalb eines Skilehrerkurses (leider kein Scherz, da er als Urlauber nicht über Nacht bleiben durfte). In der Schweiz haben Urlauber aus demselben Land sogar die Lauberhornrennen gelähmt. Und in der MotoGP verursachten FIM und Dorna Anfang November weltweit Kopfschütteln mit einem völlig unverständlichen vorläufigen Kalender. Aufgrund bestehender Verträge gab es jedoch keine Alternative.

Von uns beim Besuch der WorldSBK Runde im April 2018 in Assen fotografiert, prächtiges Frühlingswetter erwartete die Besucher beim zweiten Rennen der Saison. Doch der Saisonauftakt für 2021 an dieser Stätte gestaltet sich erwartungsgemäss als Zitterpartie.

The thorny (in German “dornenvolle”) path of FIM and the Dorna

We were not only surprised that the first 3 events in the calendar wobbled when the first version was published. Rather, we were completely amazed at how little criticism could be read on other portals. Actually, most of them were satisfied with the official subordinate clause “depending on the development of the corona pandemic”. A bad joke! We, however, leaned out of the window and published the calendar in November 2020 with the clear indication that it was a “fair weather program”. We made the same comment for the test planning of MotoGP.

MotoRacers Zippy at the Sepang GP over a decade ago – the color yellow was already dominant at that time. Despite the corona pandemic, the winter tests were originally supposed to start here. For some viewers, this almost seemed like they were simply trying to ignore the Covid-19 problem. But in the meantime even the last of them have awakened.

Our prediction turned out to be correct
Then within 10 days in January the confirmation came that we were absolutely right 2 months before. On January 12th, 2021 there was the official cancellation of the completely nonsensical “Shakedown” (probably stands for rust removal and warming up of the engines) and testing and on January 22nd a revised calendar followed. The only open question is why FIM and the Dorna took such a thorny path. We will never know, but at least we regret the loss of credibility it has suffered. Above all, it was a wrong signal what they were sending, as if they wanted to defy the pandemic.

Taken by us on March 10, 2019 in Losail – space problems on the main stand of the International Circuit of Losail in Qatar never existed also before the corona pandemic. On site, we discovered that you get almost more of it on TV at home. Unless, as we were allowed to do several times at this site, you are allowed to look around in the paddock opposite. By the way, our flight to Doha cost less at the time, because afterwards we flew on to Bangkok for the WorldSBK event in BuriRam instead of just there and back. A crazy world!

Provisional combined calendar MotoGP and WorldSBK

To hold the MotoGP start in Losail, of all things, is considered by many to be a bad omen. Here, of all places, where the calendar chaos began in the previous year, the coming season should start! Only Moto2 and Moto3 were at the start in 2020, because almost all MotoGP participants would have had to go into a two-week quarantine and inevitably had to do without the journey. Unfortunately, the only sure thing about the provisional planning is currently the fact that countless changes can be expected due to the current pandemic development. We had already expected in November 2020 that in Portimão will be driven instead of Austin, and that was also published from us like this at the time. A double race there or in Jerez would have made more sense, but Dorna has contracts with the organizers. With permission from the authorities for races and facilitated entry, there is of course an obligation to comply.