Photographed by us at the Autodromo do Algarve at the WorldSBK event at the few food stands that were open at all in September 2019. Such images could be seen in the middle of winter during the corona pandemic at ski lifts or in any other cases. A return to such “normality” is unthinkable for a very long time, if at all.

About the pointless hope after the return of normalcy

We remember very well when we came back from the WorlSBK season opener in Australia via Singapore. Countless hotels and trips for a complete 2020 season had been firmly booked for months, including the flight to Doha. Most of the Europe trips were planned as in the past by bike. Our KTM was with new tyres, and we considered buying another Yamaha Tracer 900 GT. Up to and including San Juan for WorldSBK, we had already booked many necessary flights and hotels. Then the Covid-19 pandemic broke out heavily for the first time shortly before departure for Qatar. Within a short period of time, it became clear to us that nothing would happen before midsummer. We wrote this on our portal and from mid-March the MotoGP calendar on our site looked like this.

Our MotoGP calendar edition (only in German on this time) of April 4th looked like this, while many motorsport news portals fantasized for weeks and months of an earlier start than mid-July. The first refusals in red and symbolizes the already foreseeable effects of Covid-19. It all started in Jerez de la Frontera in mid-July 2020.

The futile hope for a return to normalcy

At the time when we had made it clear on our side that nothing would work before midsummer, we had already reacted with regard to our planning. We canceled all air travel and hotels for up to July at the beginning of April. Then, as now, we were very surprised at the behavior of the majority of the population and journalists. Even now, almost unimpressed, more than half believe and write of a return to normalcy. You stick to vaccines and completely worthless certificates, which are supposed to contribute to safety. Someone can be tested negative today and the next day they can be infected and carry the virus. Today it is also clear that the FFP2 masks have a highly ambiguous effect. Many wearers feel too safe with it and become more careless, warned experts who definitely know. Not to mention those who wear beards, they don’t protect a mask at all.

Visiting Singapore in 2003 when the Sars virus first attracted attention. Around half of the population wore masks back then. When we flew to Australia and back via here 17 years later, it was similar, but soon afterwards it got much worse. The intentionally chosen gag on this picture was the name of the drink on the table.

The reality should be clear to everyone

Just thinking about the possible limitation of spectators and compulsory vaccinations for travel and attending major events does not go far enough. Because some governments are already discussing school openings and lockdown loosening due to immense pressure from their voters, the near future looks just as bleak as it has since March 2020. Even if a large part of the population is vaccinated, which we are still a long way from there is no trace of any real security. This reality should actually be clear to everyone and the long-term consequences for business and sport are currently hardly foreseeable. Against this background, huge sums of money will be missing in the near future, which were previously made loose for our entertainment on the race tracks. So much for the dream of a return to normality and the future, including racing.

When the majority of the population was still really poor – a picture with spectators on Berlin’s Avus from 1933.
Our recording from the beginning of May, shortly before the Superpole Race of the WorldSBK at the Curva Tosa in Imola, when the ticket prices were doubled in 2019 compared to the previous year. The vehicles on which these spectators were standing were not the cheapest. Even the distances would be exemplary nowadays in times of “social distancing”.

The good news

It will go on and for teams that unfortunately had to give up in the Supersport World Championship due to a lack of sponsorship money, new ones will follow. But be careful those who lean out the window today and say there will be a normal summer. You should keep in mind that there are still a sufficient number of people with a memory. Whether you will be driving in Qatar, the Netherlands or Portugal in the near future depends primarily on two factors. On the one hand, this is the authorization from authorities to hold a sporting event at all. On the other hand, it is a question of whether this is economically viable with no or only a limited number of spectators. This means that we are facing a new, or better old, problem, especially in German-speaking countries.

We photographed the entrance to the Losail International Circuit in March 2019, when the MotoGP premier class was here for the last time. Nowhere in the world have we been in a race in the facility as quickly as here in the desert state. Directly opposite the main entrance there were more than enough free spaces and only a few steps, then we were inside. Nevertheless, this event is not one of our favorite routes, as we like to move around the route as freely as possible.

The main problem for MotoGP and WorldSBK fans from D / A / CH

The range of TV broadcasts has been a disaster since 2019 at the latest when it comes to MotoGP. The broadcaster Servus TV, which is part of Red Bull Media, took over the rights from Eurosport for broadcasting for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Since then, a narrow-gauge program has been brought out that is unparalleled anywhere in the world. WorldSBK is sometimes only broadcast as a recording and the WSSP 600 is left behind despite promising drivers from their own country. Regarding this, Eurosport is unfortunately anything but a model boy. Although they bring MotoGP to the Dutch from Friday morning, the Supberbike and Supersport World Championships have all too often been completely neglected. Without a presence on TV and in economically difficult times of the corona pandemic, many teams lose their sponsors even more.

The comparison of how much the Dutch fans saw from the MotoGP weekend in Misano 2020 and how little Servus TV did in relation to it. This is currently the main problem for MotoGP fans from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Above all against the background that few or no visitors will be admitted to many Grand Prix in the coming season. Actually unbelievable, since Red Bull even acts as the main sponsor of individual events!