MotoGP

2017 MotoGP Provisional Calendar Updated

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The FIM today issued a revised and updated version of the provisional 2017 MotoGP calendar. The calendar features just a single change: the date of the German round of MotoGP at Sachsenring has been moved forward two weeks, and will now take place on July 2nd.

The change has both benefits and disadvantages. On the plus side, moving the date of the Sachsenring race means that the riders now have a proper summer break again, with a month off to recover between the Sachsenring and the following race at Brno.

Under the previous calendar, they had only three weeks between the German and Czech Grand Prix.

The downside is that the series now has another back-to-back race to contend with. Outside of the Pacific flyaway races (which are usually held on three consecutive weekends for reasons of cost and logistics), Dorna tries to avoid back-to-back races where possible.

There are now three pairs of European races on consecutive weekends: Mugello on June 4th and Barcelona on June 11th; Assen on June 25th and Sachsenring on  July 2nd; and Brno on August 6th and Austria on of August 13th.

Notably, these pairings are all sequential, meaning the MotoGP grid will face three lots of back-to-back weekends in a row.

The 2017 MotoGP calendar is still provisional, though it is unlikely to change much further. The reason for the calendar not being made official is because contracts for the British Grand Prix and for Sepang still have to be formalized.

Sepang has made their intention clear, as the MotoGP race at the Malaysian circuit is its most popular event. As for the British Grand Prix, the Circuit of Wales still holds the contracts, and has to finalize details of a deal with Silverstone to run the race there.

The Provisional 2017 MotoGP Championship Calendar, Version 2:

Date Grand Prix Venue
March 26th Qatar* Losail International Circuit
April 9th República Argentina Termas de Río Hondo
April 23rd Americas Circuit of The Americas
May 7th Spain Circuito de Jerez
May 21st France Le Mans
June 4th Italy Autodromo del Mugello
June 11th Catalunya Barcelona – Catalunya
June 25th Netherlands TT Circuit Assen
July 2nd Germany Sachsenring
August 6th Czech Republic Automotodrom Brno
August 13th Austria Red Bull Ring – Spielberg
August 27th Great Britain** Silverstone Circuit
September 10th San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
September 24th Aragón MotorLand Aragón
October 15th Japan Twin Ring Motegi
October 22nd Australia Phillip Island
October 29th Malaysia** Sepang International Circuit
November 12th Comunitat Valenciana Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo

* Night race
** Subject to contract

Source: FIM; Photo: © 2016 Cormac Ryan-Meenan / CormacGP – All Rights Reserved

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.

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