Dorna, the promoter of the MotoGP World Championship, has threatened to remove the Portuguese Grand Prix from the racing calendar if the situation of the land on the escape routes of the Algarve International Autodrome (AIA) does not change.
In an interview with the German magazine Speedweek, Spaniard Carmelo Ezpeleta said that “unless the state of the gravel layers changes completely, there will be no MotoGP race. [no Algarve] next year”.
At issue is the size of the stones used in the gravel that fills the exhausts of the Algarve circuit and that serves to reduce the speed of vehicles that leave the track or drivers who fall.
However, the size of the stones has drawn criticism from MotoGP riders since 2022, considering that they are too large and that they cause injuries to riders who fall.
“With the current situation, which has claimed many victims, Portimão will not take place on the calendar in 2024. We have quite a few requests from other countries and circuits. [organizadores] Portuguese,” Ezpeleta told Speedweek.
According to the German publication, Dorna demanded that the situation be fixed before the Superbike World Championship race (September 29-October 1).
Carmelo Ezpeleta said that if the “gravel traps are not repaired in accordance with the regulations”, the AIA will not receive Grade A homologation in 2024, which allows it to host MotoGP events.
“Therefore, they cannot be included in the calendar,” he stressed.
Source: TSF
