GP of Thailand – The MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand postponed due to coronavirus –

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The MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand postponed due to coronavirus

GP of Thailand - The MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand postponed due to coronavirus -

The second race of the MotoGP 2020 season, the Thai GP scheduled for March 22, is postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic. This decision announced this morning by the Thai Deputy Prime Minister comes the day after the cancellation of the Qatar MotoGP GP. Explanations.

"We must first focus on the pandemic: we must postpone the race today until further notice," said Thailand’s deputy prime minister quoted by AFP. Anutin Charnvirakul, also Minister of Health, explains that this postponement – for the moment without prospect of another date – is "in the interest of the country and of the participants".

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"As the global coronavirus epidemic continues to develop, the Thai government has announced that it would not be possible to organize the Grand Prix of Thailand on its original date", commented on Monday morning the International Federation of motorcycling. "The FIM, IRTA (association of Grand Prix teams, Editor’s note) and Dorna (GP promoter, Editor’s note) therefore regret to announce that the event, which was to be held on March 22 in Buriram, was postponed ". 

The Grand Prix of Thailand, scheduled for March 20-22 at the Chang circuit in Buriram, initially occupied second place in the 2020 MotoGP lineup. But the cancellation of the MotoGP race in Qatar having been decided due to the coronavirus, the premier class drivers are heading for a postponed start to the season at best at the Grand Prix of the Americas scheduled for Austin (Texas) from April 3 to 5…

Remember that the Moto3 and Moto2 Grand Prix of Qatar are maintained this weekend because the riders of these categories were in Losail for offseason tests: they are therefore not affected by the quarantine system put in place by the authorities. Qatari intended in particular for people originating in or coming from Italy.

A postponement, not a cancellation 

"The FIM, IRTA and Dorna are currently evaluating whether another date is possible to organize the event later this season," said the International Motorcycling Federation. Contacted by MNC, the FIM is not at this stage in a position to tell us if other countries would be eligible to host races in order to be able to maintain 20 events on the calendar as initially planned..

GP of Thailand - The MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand postponed due to coronavirus -

"We have no information on this subject for the moment, nor on the possible date of the postponement of the GP of Thailand that we are currently studying", informs us the spokesperson of the FIM who did not no more information on the fate of the second World Superbike event scheduled for March 15 in Qatar.

The Thai Deputy Prime Minister is rather reassuring about the prospect of power ensure later the GP of Thailand, one of the most popular races on the MotoGP calendar.

"I am not saying that the race is canceled: I am just saying that it is postponed until time allows us to organize the event", specifies Anutin Charnvirakul who adopts this precautionary measure in reaction to the worrying development of the Covid-19 virus in some sixty countries such as Italy, Korea, Iran, etc..

This postponement of the GP of Thailand and the cancellation of the GP of Qatar necessarily disturbed the pilots, including the young Nice man Fabio Quartararo who was eager to get to the heart of the matter on his Yamaha 2020. "So sad and disappointed after such a good one. work but that’s how it is … Let’s see when our first race will be ", comments the n ° 20 who wishes good luck to his Moto2 and Moto3 teammates" if they can race on Sunday (in Qatar, Editor’s note). " 

Drastic measures in France

In France, several sporting or cultural events have also been suspended following the detection of a growing number of outbreaks (130 cases confirmed on Monday): the Paris half-marathon was notably canceled this weekend, while the closure of the Agricultural Show was brought forward by one day.

The French Ministry of Health also decided on Saturday to ban all gatherings "of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces throughout the national territory". 

Several other motorsport events have already been canceled or postponed due to Covid-19, primarily in the first country affected by the virus: China. This is the case in particular for the Chinese Formula Grand Prix scheduled for April 19 in Shanghai as well as the Formula E (electric) championship race scheduled for March 21 in Sanya, on the Chinese island of Hainan..

The motocross world championship, on the other hand, started without any particular restriction this weekend in Great Britain. To be continued on MNC: stay connected !

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