Valencia remains priority option for closing the MotoGP World Championship

Much of the MotoGP paddock set up at the Sepang Circuit (Malaysia) is waiting to see how the rescue mission in Valencia will develop following the devastating impact of the damage that devastated the area on Tuesday evening, and by this Friday morning had already left 158 ​​dead and the question of a large The number of missing people still remains open.

The executive team that runs the World Cup is working on various scenarios with the intention of celebrating the 20th and final stop on the calendar. The test was originally scheduled for Sunday, November 17, at Chest, a facility located in an area heavily damaged by the hurricane. So far, the only statement that can be considered official was the one that Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, the organizer of the competition, made this Thursday to the newspaper AS. “In principle, the original date (of the event) remains unchanged. Working to resolve access and service issues. The route was not damaged”– Ezpeleta commented.

“If we don’t race in Valencia, it will be worse for the Valencian community and its economy,” added Jorge Viegas, president of the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM), at a meeting with Sky Italia.
At the same time, the heavyweights on the grid were much more accepting of the idea of ​​not running the race there, so as not to jeopardize any resources that could be allocated to emergency work.

The most outspoken was Marc Marquez, who appealed to moral responsibility in his argument: “From an ethical point of view, I don’t think this should be celebrated; that would be a mistake.” Pecco Bagnaia, the defending champion and fighting for the title with Jorge Martin, positioned himself on the same level: “It would be wrong to race in Valencia. If it were up to me, I would prefer not to participate in the race.” But it’s not up to me to decide.” And it is up to Dorna to decide, considering several options.

Motorsport.com understands the priority is to conduct the season-closing test at Chest, although the specific date for when that event is due to take place is not yet clear.. This is despite the fact that over the past two days a wide variety of alternatives have been voiced, many of which do not take into account important conditions.

During the first official Moto2 test, this morning, a delegation from the Teams Association (IRTA) met with Ezpeleta to draw up a roadmap, always with Valencia as the setting. It is possible that weekends are planned, although The race is also expected to be postponed for seven days, until Sunday, November 24.when, theoretically, the circuit should host the last round of the FIM CEV Repsol World Championship.

And it is possible that the outcome of the fight between Martin and Banai will be pushed back a little more. In any of the above options, it is clear that several initiatives will be organized to provide assistance to the victims of the tragedy. There are those within the company who believe that moving the grand prize while maintaining its original location will not make much difference in terms of image.

It turns out that the final quote, as usual, is not the big prize. Among other things, because the awards ceremony at the end of the course is supposed to take place here. In addition, it was planned to present a new corporate identity for the championship.
The FIM and Dorna are expected to hold demonstrations throughout the day this Friday.

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