MOTOGP 2020 IN REVIEW
Feature
P112
Wins, crashes, near escapes, rule
breaking—despite Covid-19's best
efforts, MotoGP had it all in 2020.
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
The 2020 MotoGP season was the most unpredictable
some of the most riveting racing we've ever
I
t looked, for a time, like we weren't going to get
a MotoGP season at all in 2020. Covid-19 was
rampaging through every corner of the globe,
the situation in some countries almost changing
by the hour.
Spain and Italy—the heartlands of MotoGP—
bore the initial brunt of the Covid chaos, citizens
forced to stay in their homes from April until the
end of May, and with Covid deaths soaring in both
countries, MotoGP racing was the furthest thing
from most people's minds.
The season was due to begin in Qatar on
March 8, and for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes
it did—just not for the premier MotoGP category.
This was due to the Moto2 and Moto3 teams still
being situated in Qatar following their final pre-
season test, with most team members having not
flown back to their European bases.
From the desert night, MotoGP stared at the pos-
sibility of having no championship at all. The next two
months saw commercial rights holders Dorna work-
ing feverishly behind the scenes with governments
around the world to cobble together a season befit-
ting of a world championship, and it became appar-
ent that every race would need to be held in Europe.
As such, the American, Italian, Australian, Japa-
nese, Dutch, German, Argentinian, Thai and Ma-
laysian races were all canceled, and double rounds
(races held one week apart at the same track) were
held at Jerez in Spain, the Red Bull Ring in Aus-
