Reale Avintia Racing Ducati’s French rider Johann Zarco (L) and Aprilia Factory Racing’s British rider Bradley Smith take a corner during the second day of the pre-season MotoGP winter test at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang on February 8, 2020. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP)
The French MotoGP, initially scheduled for May 15-17 in Le Mans, has been postponed because of the “ongoing coronavirus outbreak”, organisers announced Thursday.
“As the situation remains in a state of constant evolution, new dates for the French GP and the recently-postponed Gran Premio Red Bull de Espana cannot be confirmed until it becomes clearer when exactly it will be possible to hold the events,” the international motorcycling federation said.
A revised calendar will be published as soon as available, it added.
The French MotoGP is the latest sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and follows the cancellation of the elite category season-opening MotoGP in Qatar.
The next three legs of the 2020 calendar in Thailand, Texas and Argentina have also been put on ice, with Dorna, the series promoter, hoping to run them in the second half of a truncated season.
Dorna has already said it will push back the end of the season two weeks to November 29.