MotoGP cancels Sepang pre-season test due to COVID-19
MotoGP’s opening pre-season test of 2021 due to take place in Malaysia next month has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MotoGP had been due to hold its now traditional two three-day pre-season tests in Malaysia at the Sepang International Circuit on 19-21 February and in Qatar at the Losail International Circuit on 10-12 March.
Motorsport.com reported earlier this month MotoGP had been working with Malaysian authorities to ease COVID restrictions on the paddock entering the country for the test.
Despite an escalation in the pandemic again in Europe, all looked good for the Sepang test and the preceding shakedown for test riders going ahead.
However, this was plunged into doubt on Tuesday when a state of emergency was declared in Malaysia owing to a surge in cases.
MotoGP has now confirmed the test has been cancelled, though currently the Qatar outing is going ahead as planned – though no information has been given on whether the Sepang test will be replaced.
A statement from MotoGP read: “The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of both the Shakedown Test and the Official Sepang Test.
“The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and complications have obliged the cancellation of both events, which were set to take place at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia in February.
“The Qatar Test, currently set to take place at Losail International Circuit from the 10th to the 12th of March, continues to be confirmed and any further updates or changes will be provided as soon as available.”
MotoGP is set for a 20-race calendar in 2021, after its plans for a schedule of the same length had to be scrapped last year due to COVID-19.
The season is set to begin on 28 March in Qatar and end in November in Valencia.
However, the nature of the pandemic currently means this is very likely to change in the coming weeks, with the early races in the United States and Argentina unlikely to go ahead.
On Tuesday, Formula 1 confirmed its Australian Grand Prix season-opener had been postponed to later in the year along with the Chinese GP.
Its season is now due to begin in Bahrain on the same weekend as MotoGP’s Qatar GP.
Related video
Suzuki MotoGP team won’t replace F1-bound Brivio
Thailand MotoGP race set to be cancelled
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.