Czech Grand Prix uncertain on 2021 MotoGP calendar

The Czech Grand Prix was left off MotoGP's draft 2021 calendar on Friday pending mandatory safety work, with three reserve races listed to fill any gaps after Covid-19 ravaged this season's schedule.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, chief executive of rights holders Dorna, said the Brno track needed resurfacing to meet requirements.

"We decided to not put it on the calendar and wait to see if they can achieve that," he said.

"If not we will put reserve Grands Prix in that period.

"Brno has been on the calendar a long time and it’s an important Grand Prix, but it’s also important that the safety issues, especially resurfacing, is compulsory. If we don’t have confirmation we can’t include it on the calendar."

A slot was left vacant for the period between Finland on July 11 and Austria on August 15, with the calendar featuring 20 races.

Portugal's Algarve circuit, used by Formula One last month, Russia's Igora Drive near St Petersburg and Indonesia's Mandalika circuit on the island of Lombok are the reserve tracks.

"We try to return to normality. We talked to all the promoters and made the normal calendar because it’s important to block the days and\ know exactly on which days there will be the Grands Prix," said Ezpeleta.

"We’ll start in Qatar as usual, and finish in Valencia as usual for another year. In the middle there will be 18 Grands Prix together with the first and the last. We hope we can do it."

The 2020 season has been confined entirely to Europe, although Moto2 and Moto3 raced in Qatar in March due to the pandemic, with races elsewhere cancelled.