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When will the 2020 MotoGP world championship start? This is undoubtedly the question that all fans and even professionals are asking themselves daily. However, the scenarios are changing every day and giving a certain answer to this question seems impossible for anyone at the moment. On one thing, however, it seems that many observers agree on the fact that it will be difficult to see MotoGP return to the track before July, with the hope that the health emergency will be resolved well before this date.
If we look at the current MotoGP calendar, the new KymiRing track in Finland could possibly host the first round of the world championship for the premier class on the weekend of 1-3 July. A round that would also be the second for Moto2 and Moto3, categories that made their debut in Losail. However, there is another difficulty that could create a significant problem, namely that the circuit has not yet been homologated.
Carmelo Ezpeleta himself has been dealing with the issue relating to the Finnish track, expressing optimism however regarding the fact that the work will be completed on time to regularly host the race. Our Speedweek colleagues asked Franco Uncini, the FIM Safety Officer, who confirmed this situation.
"Yes, the KymiRing has not yet been approved for the Grand Prix - said Uncini - I don't know when I will be able to approve it, I can only say that I will do it when I can travel again. At the moment I am stuck at my house in Recanati "
There are many problems to deal with before the calendar gets back underway again, and one in particular concerns the regular resumption of flights from Italy and Spain, two countries most affected by the Coronavirus emergency. It must be considered that even if this emergency were to come to an end, some countries that have a scheduled MotoGP round may not allow citizens of Italy and Spain to enter their borders quickly and it is also possible that there will be a request for a 14-day quarantine for those people entering the country. A situation that would make it almost impossible to regularly race some GPs.
This scenario will make it necessary to evaluate other rounds in Europe in addition to those already planned, as eventual replacements for other defections. Jorge Viegas spoke about the possibility of running on two tracks that are currently the reserve circuits in the calendar, namely Portimao and Estoril, both in Portugal (read HERE).
"I can’t rule out anything at the moment - said Uncini - but it won’t be easy to obtain a grade A approval (necessary to run a round of the world championship - Ed.) for these circuits. I hope that all those people who expect MotoGP to resume only in August are wrong. But as I said, nothing can be ruled out. I still hope we will go back to racing in June. "
Uncini was also unable to actively be present in the first round of the season in Qatar, which at least saw Moto2 and Moto3 on the track. The 1982 500cc world champion was in fact stuck in Italy, unlike Loris Capirossi who, being a resident of Montecarlo, was able to arrive at the Losail track.
"Franck Vayssié, the FIM Commission of Circuit Racing director in Qatar, was also the Race Director. He did the track inspection for me and also saw to the approval of the Losail circuit. For the GP weekend, FIM officer Tamara Matko, who during the season is an FIM Safety Officer in the Superbike World Championship, was in Qatar to assist Franck. It was difficult for me to miss the Qatar GP. I missed all my friends and acquaintances in the paddock ".
To avoid the risk of missing other GPs before the coronavirus emergency exploded outside Italy, Uncini had also thought of an alternative plan.
"I was actually thinking of temporarily moving to my daughter's place, she lives and works in Ticino, Lugano, Switzerland. From there, I could always fly from Zurich, but I was unable to get out of Italy in time".
