MotoGP Gossip: Jerez to be confirmed as season opener?

07 May 2020

- Diario de Jerez reports that a virtual meeting will be held today (Thrsday) to formally agree that the Jerez circuit will host the opening roun of the MotoGP season on July 19, then a second race one week later. Both events will be held behind 'closed doors' and are subject to the approval of the health authorities, but the Andalusian government, Mayoress of Jerez and Dorna are all confident that conditions will have improved enough within the next two months for the races to go ahead (Diario de Jerez)

- Jorge Lorenzo had a surprise visitor to his home in Switzerland in the form of Andrea Iannone. The Italian is currently suspended from MotoGP while appealing an 18-month ban for failing a doping test at last year's Malaysian Grand Prix. Lorenzo, who clashed with Iannone on track during his racing career and replaced 'The Manic' at Ducati, listened to what Iannone had to say and "his arguments convinced me":

"They are all friends of yours when things go well, but many disappear when you have problems. I do not consider myself a friend of Andrea Iannone and I have never uploaded a picture with him. So, perhaps because I have always liked do the opposite, I don't see a better time than doing it today, when surely he need it the most. Yesterday we went for a walk on the lake and chatted for a while. We laugh remembering some anecdotes and I also asked him about his issue. He is the only one who knows the truth, but when I was listening to him I saw him serene and his arguments convinced me. Like everyone, surely Andrea has made mistakes in the past, but I think this time the “mistake” was not voluntary. So I hope and I wish that sooner than later he’ll be considered free to practice what he does best. In the end, you may like his "character" or not but it is clear that the boy has talent and speed. And as I said yesterday: "Talent is neither bought nor forgotten."

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Todos son amigos tuyos cuando las cosas te van bien, pero muchos desaparecen cuando tienes problemas. No me considero amigo de Andrea Iannone y nunca había subido una foto con el. Así que, quizá porque siempre me ha gustado llevar la contraria, no veo mejor momento que hacerlo hoy, cuando seguramente mas lo necesite. Ayer fuimos a dar una paseo por el lago y charlamos un rato. Nos reímos recordando algunas anécdotas y también le pregunte por su tema. Lo cierto es que la verdad solo la sabe el, pero al escucharle lo ví sereno, seguro y sus argumentos me convencieron. Como todos, seguramente Andrea haya cometido errores en el pasado, pero creo que esta vez el “error” no ha sido voluntario. Así que espero y deseo que pronto se le considere libre de practicar lo que mejor sabe hacer. Al final, su “personaje” te puede gustar más o menos pero esta claro que el chico tiene talento y velocidad. Y como dije ayer: “El talento ni se compra ni se olvida”. - They are all friends of yours when things go well, but many disappear when you have problems. I do not consider myself a friend of Andrea Iannone and I have never uploaded a picture with him. So, perhaps because I have always liked do the opposite, I don't see a better time than doing it today, when surely he need it the most. Yesterday we went for a walk on the lake and chatted for a while. We laugh remembering some anecdotes and I also asked him about his issue. He is the only one who knows the truth, but when I was listening to him I saw him serene and his arguments convinced me. Like everyone, surely Andrea has made mistakes in the past, but I think this time the “mistake” was not voluntary. So I hope and I wish that sooner than later he’ll be considered free to practice what he does best. In the end, you may like his "character" or not but it is clear that the boy has talent and speed. And as I said yesterday: "Talent is neither bought nor forgotten."
A post shared by JORGE LORENZO (@jorgelorenzo99) on May 5, 2020 at 9:27am PDT

- Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi is tired of hearing riders praised as the next phenomenon - while his own rider Andrea Dovizioso, title runner-up to Marc Marquez for the past three seasons, is constantly overlooked. Tardozzi also confirms that next year's factory team will contain "two riders already under Ducati contract", which means a shortlist of five; Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci, Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco (GPOne.com)

- Valentino Rossi finished fifth in Race 1 of the Virtual "All Stars Racing Night", using GT cars around Misano - but then 'disappeared' when his dinner was ready! "When the second race started, my Mum came and told me dinner was ready, so I stopped!" Ferrari F1 star Chares Leclerc won race one. (SkySport.it).