The French Grand Prix scheduled for May was officially postponed on Thursday and has joined the growing list of races that have been either postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outbreak has played havoc with the MotoGP schedule, with the first round in Qatar being cancelled owing to strict travel measures imposed due to the virus. The following rounds in Thailand, United States, Argentina, and Spain were all postponed for the same reason.
The postponement of the French round originally scheduled for May 15-17 was inevitable as the Automobile Club de l’Quest was moved from its usual June slot to September.
No alternative date for the Grand Prix has been announcement as of now, due to the fluid nature of the pandemic.
MotoGP organisers Dorna were previously committed to running all 19 races – barring the cancelled Qatar round – in a revised calendar, with the potential of extending the calendar into 2021. However, the idea has since been scrapped, with Dorna now looking at running fewer rounds and avoiding an extended run into 2021.
Dorna is obligated to run 13 MotoGP races to fulfil its contract with the FIM. However, given the nature of the circumstances, the FIM should be lenient on this.
As of now, the next scheduled event on the calendar is in Italy at the end of May. However, given the situation in the country, postponement or cancellation is certain.