MotoGP prepared to enforce Monday races after Silverstone cancellation
MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has indicated he is willing to enforce delaying races until Monday if necessary in future, in the wake of last month's British Grand Prix being cancelled
Delaying the doomed Silverstone race by a day Monday was one option that was discussed by Dorna, teams and the British GP venue itself, an avenue made more feasible by the fact it was a bank holiday in the UK.
But this course of action was ultimately rejected by the majority of teams, some of which were having to head straight to Aragon for private testing, although Ducati notably was in favour of a Monday race.
But Ezpeleta said in future instances where it is impossible to hold the race on Sunday, MotoGP will tell riders and organisers they must be prepared to race on Monday, or even Tuesday, instead.
"It's a shame but it's an experience we could and should learn from," said Ezpeleta in an interview with Spanish TV network Movistar.
"We must think about what we can do so it doesn't happen again.
"It's important that everybody knows that if the race can't be held on the Sunday, we will race on Monday or Tuesday. We come here to race.
"[In the safety commission] I will let the riders know, that there will always be a safe race, always when possible but [it must be] safe - I don't like to change the rules, and this wasn't confirmed.
"From now on we will race on a Monday, if it's possible to race on the Monday.
"I will tell them to be prepared to race the following day. We must also tell this to the organisers."
The 2009 Qatar season opener (pictured above) was pushed back to Monday when it had to be called off due to rain, while this year's Silverstone race was the first MotoGP round called off due to poor weather entirely since the 1980 Austrian GP.
Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller said he was surprised given the more complex logistics of the Qatar situation that the teams were not willing to pursue a similar path at Silverstone.
"The race of course is what we are all here for, and logistically, they changed schedule, flights for all the teams for a race in Qatar," commented the Australian.
"To fly from England, almost everybody is based in Europe, so it's a lot cheaper buying flights for that than buying flights for Qatar.
"I believe that [decision] should have been put down to the riders. I believe we still should have gone ahead with the grand prix.
"We make a calendar for 19 races and we don't do them all."
Previous article
Misano MotoGP: Dovizioso leads practice, Marquez and Rossi midfield
Next article
What if MotoGP had a 'transfer window?'
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Teams | AB Motoracing |
| Author | Matteo Nugnes |
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
Did the Qatar GP hint at Ducati’s true MotoGP leader?
OPINION: Johann Zarco talked a big game pre-season, and is so far vindicating himself as a factory rider at Pramac after finishing the Qatar GP as top Ducati in second. And contrasting his and Jack Miller's weekends and their approaches, is Zarco emerging as Ducati's true MotoGP leader?
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
The past clues which hint at the MotoGP order in Qatar
The MotoGP season kicks off this weekend in Qatar - two years after it last visited the Losail circuit for a race weekend as last season's round was called off. As ever, the pecking order is difficult to map out at this early stage of the season, but perhaps the 2019 race offers some clues as to how things might shake out...
