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The inaugural Kazakhstan MotoGP round has been canceled. In a press release today, Dorna and the FIM have announced that homologation work is still needed for the circuit to be able to host a MotoGP race.

The press release also mentions "current global operational challenges", which suggests that the logistics of hosting a race in Kazakhstan pose significant problems. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a significant impact on the cost and availability of airfreight, but other factors may also be an issue. Paddock sources told me that, for example, they found it impossible to secure the number of rental cars which are needed for an event the scale of a MotoGP round.

The race will not be replaced, meaning that the calendar is now back down to 20 rounds. There will now be a summer break of 5 weeks between the Dutch TT at Assen, the last round in June, and the British Grand Prix in Silverstone on August 6th.

The press release appears below:

As predicted earlier this month, the MotoGP calendar is to expand even further for 2023. Next year, there are to be 21 races in total, with two new circuits being added to the calendar.

The news that Sokol in Kazakhstan is being added had been expected, given the announcement on Tuesday. The surprise is that India is to have a MotoGP round next year, with the expectation in the paddock that it would not happen until 2024. But MotoGP is to race at the Buddh International circuit at the end of September in 2023. There had been concerns over customs and tax issues importing equipment and bikes into India, but paddock sources indicate these issues have been settled.