Kazakhstan Grand Prix set to be cancelled; Qatar to replace it

The Kazakhstan Grand Prix was due to start this year in MotoGP, but due to flooding in Central Asia in April, it was postponed to September 20-22, swapping places with the canceled Indian Grand Prix. Now the Sokol race is on the verge of being canceled.

According to the British website Autosport, the lack of guarantees from the local organization forced the cancellation of the Kazakh round, despite the considerable efforts made by Dorna in recent months. The decision is not yet official, but if confirmed, it will be the third Grand Prix canceled this year after Argentina and India.

The calendar will not shrink as it did when Argentina was abandoned, however: Dorna has opted for a second round in Qatar, which had already hosted the season-opening round in March. In 2021, Losail also hosted two Grand Prix events, as part of an adapted calendar due to pandemic restrictions.

The dates will remain unchanged, with the second Qatar GP scheduled for September 20-22, marking the start of the Asian phase of the calendar and a three-round stretch also including Indonesia and Japan.