No replacement for Hungarian GP
Added on Friday, March 13th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
No replacement for Hungarian GP
MotoGP organisers will not be adding another venue to the 2009 calendar following the cancellation of the Hungarian Grand Prix, it has been confirmed.
Following the cancellation of round 14 of the 2009 championship, due to take place at the purpose-built Balatonring on September 20, the season will now be reduced down to 17 rounds.
Speculation had mounted that Dorna may opt to move the race in an attempt to maintain an 18 round championship; although the series promoter has confirmed that there are no plans to switch venues.
Construction at the new circuit, which was due to replace the recently dropped Chinese Grand Prix, has been hit by delays, forcing owners to request the postponement of the event until 2010.
That request was ratified by the FIM this week, meaning that riders will have to wait for almost a month between rounds 13 and 14 in San Marino and Portugal respectively.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, head of MotoGP rights-holder Dorna, said that the Hungarian authorities had also proposed that the race go ahead in 2009 at a partially-completed venue without full paddock buildings, but that he had rejected this suggestion.
“The contract stipulated the race would take place from 2009, or from 2010 if the construction works weren’t finished on time,” Ezpeleta was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
“They proposed to me a solution halfway, with the track built without structures, but I didn’t accept it. Either the maximum gets done, or we postpone for a year.”
