There’s a big chance that the Czech GP MotoGP round won’t take place in 2021, folks. It seems that there’s a bit of an argument between the event organisers and Dorna concerning the issue of track upgrade amongst other things like hosting fees.
The Automotodrom Brno Circuit has been a staple of the MotoGP calendar each season as it attracts one of the largest numbers of spectators from nearby regions. This might not be the case in 2021 as Dorna wants the circuit to go through some serious facility overhaul that might cost around €3 million, which is around RM14.7 million.
This is a hard deal to agree on as the track is privately owned with shares being held by private investors as well as the country’s government. COVID-19 has been devastating for a lot of people around the world, and the amount is just not there to spend on upgrading this popular circuit.
According to Brno Mayor, Marketa Vankova, “Dorna insists on a complete overhaul of the track for 100 million crowns. Due to the COVID, we are not sure whether next year would go with the audience, or whether people will want to travel from abroad. At a time when we are addressing the main needs of the city so that we do not have to increase fees for waste or public transport, it would seem to me highly irresponsible to commit the city to such a commitment.”
In this case, MotoGP has set up three reserved GP venues in case any of the rounds get cancelled due to COVID-19. These venues are in Portugal, Indonesia, and Russia. Brno was never on the provisional list, but we suspect that it might run in the ‘to be decided’ slot at the end of July. Stay tuned for more updates from Dorna concerning the matter.
