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It was a day of good news and bad news for Aprilia. On the day that the Court of Arbitration of Sport announced that WADA had appealed against the penalty imposed on Andrea Iannone, demanding his suspension be extended to the full four years set out in the doping code, the Italian factory was also able to announce a two-year contract extension with Aleix Espargaro. The Spaniard will remain with Aprilia for the 2021 and 2022 seasons in MotoGP.

The move was widely expected. Espargaro has been the mainstay of Aprilia's MotoGP project since arriving at the Noale factory in 2017. In the first three years of his contract with Aprilia, he has had three different teammates, starting with Sam Lowes, then Scott Redding, and finally, last year, Andrea Iannone. Thanks to Iannone's suspension, it looks like Espargaro will have a fourth teammate in 2020, almost certainly Bradley Smith. And that could change again in 2021, if Iannone does not have his doping ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

There were periods last year where Espargaro did not look like extending his contract. The Spaniard grew increasingly frustrated, both with a lack of performance with the Aprilia RS-GP, reliability issues with the bike, and with a lack of updates. But his patience was rewarded over the winter, when Romano Albesiano and his team produced a brand-new bike with a completely new 90° V4 engine. The bike did everything better than its predecessor, and had vastly more potential for improvement.

Espargaro has been plain that the arrival of Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola made the difference. By taking on the running of the racing department, Rivola has freed up Romano Albesiano to concentrate on the engineering side, which was always his speciality. Administration did not come naturally to Albesiano, and that proved costly in terms of development to the RS-GP. Aprilia has made major steps forward since Rivola took over at the beginning of 2019.

Espargaro's signing brings the total number of signed riders to eight. That total is likely to increase soon, as a number of new contracts appear to be nearing completion. Pol Espargaro is set to sign for the Repsol Honda squad, which would necessitate finding a slot for Alex Marquez, currently racing alongside his brother in the factory Repsol team. Andrea Dovizioso is close to extending his deal with the factory Ducati team. And Danilo Petrucci, newly liberated from Ducati, could close a deal with either KTM or Aprilia to remain in MotoGP, replacing either Pol Espargaro or Andrea Iannone for 2021. That is, if Ducati can't persuade Petrucci to switch to WorldSBK for next season.

The officially signed rider line up for the 2021 season so far is as follows:

The Aprilia press release announcing the deal with Espargaro appears below:

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ CONFIRMED AT APRILIA WITH A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT FOR THE 2021 AND 2022 MOTOGP SEASONS

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ: “WE HAVE GROWN A LOT. I BELIEVE IN THIS PROJECT AND I AM HAPPY TO STAY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE APRILIA WHERE WE DESERVE TO BE”

Aleix Espargaró will be an Aprilia Racing rider for the 2021 and 2022 seasons as well. With great satisfaction on both sides, this confirms one of the longest current MotoGP associations.

Astride the RS-GP since the 2017 season, Aleix has weathered various phases of the Aprilia MotoGP project, from the great and promising growth in the first season to the difficulties of 2018, all the way to the technical revolution of 2019 which led to the birth of the new 2020 RS-GP

The latest prototype showed significant and promising signs of competitiveness in the winter tests, before the 2020 season was disrupted, so much that they contributed to Aleix’s decision.

Passionate, always committed on the track and a motivator in the garage, this will bring Aleix to his sixth season in a row astride the Italian bike. This is a sign of continuity and trust that comes at this turning point in Aprilia’s technical project.

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ

“I am happy about this confirmation. The human aspect is extremely important for me, and in four seasons, Aprilia has become my second family, so with this contract, which is certainly the most important of my career, they demonstrated that I am at the centre of this project. On a technical level, the growth in recent months convinced me, with the arrival of many reinforcements and the début of the 2020 RS-GP, which did so well in the tests. I feel like we need to finish the job we started over the winter. I can’t wait to get back together with my entire team and race with the new bike, to take this project where it deserves to be.”

MASSIMO RIVOLA - CEO APRILIA RACING

“We wanted Aleix’s confirmation by all means and we are very happy that it arrived. At a rather tumultuous time for the rider market, providing continuity for our project with a rider the calibre of Aleix is essential. With him, who we have established as our captain, we have begun an entirely new project, involving new resources and taking a bike that seems to have come out very well onto the track. Now we hope that he will soon take an Aprilia to the top, where it has never been in MotoGP history.”

After last week's announcements that the Silverstone and Phillip Island MotoGP rounds were canceled, today, the Japanese round of MotoGP joined the list of cancellations. The race at Motegi has been called off, and will not take place this year, despite the importance of the race to the Japanese manufacturers.

Today's announcement was the last step in a general clearing out of the schedule to allow for a calendar of races which could feasibly be held for 2020. The plan, as Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta pointed out in the press release, is to do as many races in Europe as possible, and only heading overseas after that, if international travel is still possible. "For this reason, the FIM and Dorna, in consultation with IRTA and MSMA, have decided that, until mid-November, MotoGP will remain in Europe to do as many European MotoGP events as we are able to. Therefore, overseas events, if at all possible, should be scheduled after mid-November – which would be too late in the year for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan to be held," Ezpeleta is quoted as saying.

As I explained on Friday, the plan is to run calendar as pairs of races on back-to-back weekends at the same circuits. The series is due to kick off at Jerez, on July 19th, with another race at the Spanish circuit the following weekend, July 26th. One race will be named the Spanish Grand Prix, the next the Grand Prix of Andalusia. Then one race at Brno, two races in Austria, and races in Barcelona, Misano, Aragon, and Valencia. There is a chance that Le Mans could feature on the calendar, with French Grand Prix promoter Claude Michy working towards a race in the first half of October.

By September/October, it should be clear whether it will be possible to travel overseas for races in late November/early December. The date limits the options to the tropics or the southern hemisphere. Although the race in Austin has still not officially been canceled, it seems unlikely the race can be held in 2020. That would leave Buriram, Sepang, and Argentina, though Carmelo Ezpeleta has already made it clear that these races will only go ahead if fans can attend. A decision on that is still some way off.

There are still obstacles in the way of any calendar. The latest issue is that the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism has said that visitors from the UK will not be excluded from quarantine rules on tourists which Spain is due to lift on July 1st, unless the UK improves its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sizable number of paddock staff, including mechanics, engineers, and riders, are resident in Britain and could be forced to leave early, and self-isolate for 14 days ahead of the races in Spain. Other countries may also suffer a similar fate.

We will have more clarity on a potential calender later in the week, when an initial calendar is due to be released. That calendar, like most things at the moment, will be provisional until the last race has finished.

Below is the press release from Dorna announcing the cancellation of Motegi:

Motul Grand Prix of Japan cancelled

Monday, 01 June 2020

The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has obliged the cancellation of the event, which was set to take place from the 16th to the 18th of October at the Twin Ring Motegi.

The home of MotoGP™ manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, Japan is vital to the global presence and success of MotoGP™.

The iconic Twin Ring Motegi has been on the calendar since 1999 and the FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports very much look forward to returning to race at the venue in 2021, in front of some of the most dedicated and loyal fans in the world.

Kaoru Tanaka, President, Mobilityland Corporation: “Mobilityland has been preparing for this year’s MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix, however the situations in Japan and Europe are unpredictable and the extension of the international travel ban is expected. As a result of our discussions with Dorna, the managerial body of the series, we agreed that we have no choice but to cancel the Japanese GP in order to complete the season.

“We understand that this is a great disappointment for fans and all related parties. We thank you for your understanding.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of the Motul Grand Prix of Japan at the very unique Motegi circuit, meaning we will not have a Japanese Grand Prix on the calendar for the first time since 1986.

“The MotoGP family is working very hard to be able to re-start the racing season and hold as many events as possible, and in the safest way possible. For this reason, the FIM and Dorna, in consultation with IRTA and MSMA, have decided that, until mid-November, MotoGP will remain in Europe to do as many European MotoGP events as we are able to. Therefore, overseas events, if at all possible, should be scheduled after mid-November – which would be too late in the year for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan to be held.

“For this reason it has been decided, in consultation with Mobilityland, that the Motul Grand Prix of Japan cannot be held in 2020. I very much thank Mobilityland for the support given to MotoGP.

“On behalf of Dorna, I would also like to thank all the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We very much look forward to returning to Motegi next year.”

The outlines of a 2020 MotoGP calendar are starting to take shape. Today, Dorna announced that the races at Phillip Island and Silverstone have been canceled. MotoGP will not visit either the UK or Australia in 2020.

The news does not come as a surprise. The strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic chosen by the Australian government foresees opening the country to international travel only in December of 2020, making planning a race there almost impossible. Australia, thanks in part to its remote location, has been extremely successful in containing the pandemic, with only 103 recorded deaths. The fact that a member of the McLaren team tested positive for the coronavirus during the Australian F1 Grand Prix in March made it less likely for restrictions to be eased for international sport.

Delaying the Phillip Island race would have been a possibility, but at the start of the year, before the pandemic upended the calendar, Dorna were looking at a major reshuffle of the calendar, with 2021 due to kick off at Phillip Island in late February or early March. Whether that idea played a role in canceling the race is unknown, but if MotoGP was planning to race at Phillip Island in early March, it made little sense trying to force a race through in November or December.

A MotoGP race in Silverstone would have had to take place behind closed doors, and without fans. Silverstone invested very heavily in 2019, having the track resurfaced for the second year in a row after the 2018 resurfacing had caused massive problems with drainage, and caused the race to be canceled due to weather conditions. The circuit is currently focused on hosting two F1 races at the end of July and early August, races which are also likely to be held behind closed doors, and with finances tight, a third race without fans would be tough to bear.

Dropping Silverstone also makes logistics easier. Silverstone was the last of the races in Northern Europe left, after Assen and the Sachsenring were scrapped, and the trip from Spain or Italy up to the UK would have been time-consuming. Border controls and checks put in place for cross-Channnel freight traffic to combat COVID-19 would have complicated logistics even further.

These will not be the last Grand Prix cancellations for 2020. The Japanese Grand Prix is unlikely to happen in 2020, and overseas races are far from certain. The plan as MotoMatters.com understands it is that overseas races will only happen if fans can be present. The Sepang and Buriram rounds are likely to go ahead under these conditions, and a race in the Americas could also happen. If it is not possible to race in front of fans, then these will also be canceled.

With Silverstone and Phillip Island dropped, MotoGP is heading to the point where it will be possible to draw up a new calendar. The prospects of the races planned for Jerez on July 19th and 26th going ahead were boosted recently when the Spanish Council for Sports, part of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, announced they were working to assist a return of motorcycle racing in Spain. Once Dorna gets approval from the Spanish Ministry of Health for its plans, the races can go ahead.

What will a 2020 calendar look like? It will be somewhere between 11 and 16 races, either all held in Europe, or, as explained above, with some races held overseas if fans can attend. Races will be held at the same circuit on back-to-back weekends, with little time off. The four circuits in Spain, Brno, Austria, and Misano will host races, while other circuits, such as Mugello and Portimao, are being held in reserve.

Whatever the final shape of a published calendar, it will remain provisional. Although the WHO are optimistic about a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak being more easily contained than the first wave, any major return of the disease will see all sports and mass events canceled once again. There will almost certainly be MotoGP races in 2020. But we won't know how many will be held until the season is over.

Below are the press release from Dorna, and a message from Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle to ticket holders:

British and Australian Grands Prix cancelled

Friday, 29 May 2020

The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of the British and Australian Grands Prix. The ongoing coronavirus outbreak and resulting calendar changes have obliged the cancellation of both events.

The British Grand Prix was set to take place from the 28th to the 30th of August at the classic Silverstone Circuit. Silverstone hosted the first Grands Prix held on the British mainland from 1977, and MotoGP™ returned to the illustrious track ten years ago. 2020 will now sadly mark the first year MotoGP™ sees no track action in the British Isles for the first time in the Championship’s more than 70-year history.

The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was set to take place at the legendary Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 23rd to the 25th of October. Phillip Island hosted the very first Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1989 and since 1997 has been the only home of MotoGP™ Down Under - with its unique layout providing some of the greatest battles ever witnessed on two wheels.

The cancellation of the British Grand Prix also obliges the cancellation of the corresponding British Talent Cup track activity at the same event.

Stuart Pringle, Silverstone Managing Director: “We are extremely disappointed about the cancellation of the British MotoGP event, not least as the cancelled race in 2018 is still such a recent memory, but we support the decision that has had to be taken at this exceptional time.

“I want to thank the stoic British fans for their patience and support. We must now look forward to 2021 when Silverstone will once again host the fastest and most historic MotoGP race on the calendar and work hard to make it a truly exceptional event for all to enjoy.”

Paul Little AO, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman: “We’re very disappointed that MotoGP fans throughout Victoria, Australia and internationally won’t get the chance to make the pilgrimage to see the world’s best riders compete on one of the best circuits anywhere in the world, but the right decision has been made.

“The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix puts Phillip Island on the global stage and it’ll be back better than ever in 2021.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re saddened to have to announce the cancellation of these iconic events after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar. Silverstone and Phillip Island are always two of the most thrilling race weekends of the season, with both tracks never failing in their promise to deliver some of the closest racing in our Championship.

“On behalf of Dorna, I would like to once again extend my thanks to the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We look forward to returning to Silverstone and Phillip Island next year for more incredible battles."

A message to British MotoGP™ 2020 ticket holders from Silverstone MD Stuart Pringle

May 29, 2020

As promised, I am writing to let you know the latest regarding the 2020 British Grand Prix MotoGP™ at Silverstone.

It is with the deepest of regret we are letting you know the 2020 round of the MotoGP™ world championship, due to be held at Silverstone on August 28 - 30, will not be going ahead.

Despite months of work behind-the-scenes to try and make this key event happen, logistical restrictions under the current situation, combined with a shortened and rearranged MotoGP™ calendar, has caused the cancellation of the event.

Our obligations to protect the health and safety of everyone involved in preparing and delivering the event, our volunteer marshals and Race Makers, and of course, the amazing fans, means this is the best, safest and only decision to be made.

The global Coronavirus pandemic has been an enormous challenge for the UK and Silverstone and I wish to thank all of you for your patience during this time.

Nothing matters more to Silverstone and our owners, the British Racing Drivers’ Club, than taking care of our motorsport fans. I would like to reassure customers who have purchased a ticket that they will be given the option of either transferring their booking directly to 2021, or taking a full refund. All customers will be contacted in the next few weeks with full details, so we do ask them to please be patient with us as we work through all our bookings.

A thank you for key workers

I can also confirm that next year, we intend to give away thousands of tickets for the 2021 event to NHS and other key workers who have literally been putting their lives on the line for us all, during these challenging times. No one can be in any doubt of the huge debt of gratitude we owe to them.

Thank you for your patience, loyalty and support.

Stuart Pringle

Managing Director, Silverstone

The next piece of the 2021 rider puzzle has just fallen into place. After strong rumours over the weekend, as well as tacit confirmation from team boss Davide Tardozzi, Ducati have confirmed that Jack Miller will join the factory Ducati team for the 2021 MotoGP season, with an option to extend the contract into 2022.

The move is a logical one on the part of Ducati. Ducati have long used Pramac as a team for nurturing talent and preparing them to go into the factory squad, as they have indeed done with Danilo Petrucci. Miller had shown significant progress since arriving at Pramac in 2018, finishing the 2019 season with five podiums.

Ducati made its confidence in Miller clear throughout 2018 and 2019, entrusting the Australian to test new parts before moving them up to the factory squad. It was Miller who first tested Ducati's holeshot device, at Motegi in 2018, and also Ducati's "shapeshifter", which squats the suspension on the straight, at Buriram in 2019.

Who Miller will replace is not settled yet, though the odds heavily favor this being a sign that Ducati is moving on from Danilo Petrucci. Despite Petrucci's victory at Mugello last year, the Italian suffered a slump in the second half of 2019, with Ducati losing confidence in him by the end of the year. Petrucci came very close to being moved back to the Avintia squad after the final race of 2019 in Valencia, as Ducati sought to accommodate Johann Zarco in the Pramac squad, which would have meant promoting Miller to the factory team and moving Petrucci back to Avintia. Only strong protest from Pramac team boss Paolo Campinoti kept Miller in Pramac for 2020.

Andrea Dovizioso looks likely to stay put in Ducati, although wrangling over the Italian's contract for 2021 is still ongoing. There have been rumors of a move to Aprilia, and of approaches by KTM, but so far, these have looked more like bargaining tactics than serious proposals.

Where Petrucci goes, if he leaves, is far from clear. In a recent interview with Italian website GPOne.com, Petrucci's manager Alberto Vergani said he believes that Petrucci is out of the factory Ducati squad, and that his options are to switch to Aprilia or to move to WorldSBK with Ducati. Much will depend on what happens with Andrea Iannone, and whether the Italian is able to ride in 2021 and retained by Aprilia.

Miller's signing is the sixth to be made before any racing has taken place in 2020. Four of those signings were logical progressions, riders staying put for the foreseeable future. Fabio Quartararo's promotion to the factory Yamaha squad was also widely expected, and a logical next step, the Frenchman having had a stunning debut season with the Petronas Yamaha team. Miller's promotion to the factory team is in the same vein as Quartararo's, a progress through the ranks to the factory team.

Ducati do not seem as certain of Miller as Yamaha were of Quartararo, however. The Frenchman was given a two-year deal in the factory team, while Miller has been given a one-year deal for 2021, with an option to extend for 2022. Ironically, the same offer given to Danilo Petrucci.

Rider line up for 2021:

Press release announcing the deal from Ducati:

Jack Miller to become official rider of the Ducati Team for the 2021 MotoGP season

Ducati Corse is pleased to announce that Jack Miller will be one of the two official Ducati Team riders in the 2021 MotoGP World Championship. The company from Borgo Panigale and the 25-year-old Australian rider have reached an agreement for next season with an option to extend the contract also for 2022.

Miller, who made his MotoGP debut in 2015 at just 20 years old, joined Ducati in 2018 with the Pramac Racing Team, the factory-supported team of the Bologna manufacturer, and finished last season eighth overall in the standings, taking five podiums during the year.

Jack Miller: "First of all I want to thank warmly Paolo Campinoti, Francesco Guidotti and all the Pramac Racing Team for the great support I have received from them in the two and a half years spent together. It is an honour for me to be able to continue my MotoGP career with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and I would like to thank all the Ducati management, Claudio, Gigi, Paolo and Davide, for having trusted me and given me this incredible opportunity. I look forward to starting riding again this year, and I am ready to fully commit to the responsibility of being an official Ducati rider in 2021."

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding: "Since he arrived in the Pramac Racing Team, Jack has grown steadily, proving himself one of the fastest and most talented riders in the championship. So we are happy that he has agreed to ride the official Desmosedici GP bike of the Ducati Team next year. We are convinced that Jack has all the right skills to fight continuously for the positions that matter, in every race, starting already this season with the Desmosedici GP20 of the Pramac Racing Team, and taking a further step forward next year thanks to the support of the Ducati Team."