Current championship leader Jorge Martin has stated MotoGP’s “best option” is to race elsewhere for the 2024 season finale.
Earlier this week, a deadly flood caused significant damage in Valencia and surrounding areas, including the Ricardo Tormo track.
MotoGP’s final round of the championship is now in doubt due to its current weekend slot, scheduled for November 15th-17th.
While Dorna has provided no further update, reports indicate that a race weekend could be held elsewhere but the promoters are providing all the support they can to the track’s organisers/
The upcoming weekend in Malaysia is the championship’s penultimate round. Martin is 17 points clear of rival Francesco Bagnaia at the top of the standings.
On Thursday’s media press conference, Martin addressed the matter, stating that MotoGP’s “best option” is to race at a different track and “respect the people” in the Valencia region.
“I think it’s a really difficult situation, for sure for the people over there.
“But also for us, the best thing will be to know right now, to know it today, so you approach the weekend in a different way.
“But I think Valencia will be difficult, because even if everything is good [with the track] it’s a difficult situation and I think just for the respect of the people over there, I think also in terms of logistics – I don’t know how the track is exactly – maybe we cannot be fully crowded.
“I think the best option would be to race elsewhere. But I think Dorna, or MotoGP, will do the best thing and the best choice.”
Francesco Bagnaia: ‘What Dorna decides will be good and fair’
Before Martin offered his view on the matter after Bagnaia shared his opinion, which was akin to his championship rival.
The Italian rider feels there are “many more options to try” to race away from Valencia but knows that it is up to the above powers to decide.
“The most difficult thing for me is the ethical side, because honestly racing there is like a party,” he said.
“It’s like a moment to enjoy. And knowing that the situation is what it is, it’s not correct.
“And we are always super respectful about what is happening around the world. We are living everybody under the same sky, so it could be wrong to race there.
“In any case, if it was my choice I would prefer to not race there. But I’m not the one to decide this. What Dorna will decide will be good and fair, but I think we have many more options to try.”
When pressed about what his ideal replacement to Valencia would be, Bagnaia declined to comment but admitted that a total cancellation of the last round “could be not fair”.
“For me it’s not the correct moment to say what I will like.
“We will wait and what they will decide will be good. Could be not fair [to cancel the last race], but I’m not the guy to have to decide it it.”
