It’s decided. Barcelona has been chosen by MotoGP as the circuit to host the final round of the season, as an alternative to the Valencia GP – which had to be canceled due to the severe effects of storm Dana in the region.
Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna’s Chief Sporting Officer, explained to the official website of the championship that after an analysis of all possible options over ‘the last 48 hours’ the Catalan track is seen as the ideal solution.
Factors contributing to this conclusion included the proximity to Valencia and the fact that many people would go through Barcelona on the route they would take to Valencia – in addition to the possibility of aiding that region.
However, the GP in Barcelona is not yet confirmed: according to Ezpeleta, a request was made to the regional government of Catalonia, which will now contact the regional government of Valencia and the central government of Spain before confirming – a decision expected within the next 48 hours.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the Catalonia GP this past May, with Aleix Espargaró winning the Sprint race and Francesco Bagnaia winning the main race. For Espargaró, it will be an especially emotional end to the season, as it will mean competing in his last full-time GP at home.