Kallio keeping fingers crossed for Finnish track

Mika Kallio is keeping his fingers crossed that everything goes to plan and Finland returns to the MotoGP calendar, as scheduled, in 2019.

Last August it was officially announced that Finland would be hosting a MotoGP from 2019-2023 at the KymiRing motorsports venue, 'which is currently under construction'.

A month later the Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport visited the track and Kallio hopes the government can be persuaded to help push the project to the 'Finnish' line on time.

"I've never been so much [directly] involved about what happens there [with the KymiRing project], but of course more or less I know the situation, where it's going, and I still hope that they can finalise everything on time," Kallio said at the recent Thailand test.

"It seems that they are struggling a little bit with the budget, like usual with a new race track there's always a question about the budget and money.

"But hopefully they can get the government a little bit behind the project and with this help hopefully they can finalise things."

Assuming all goes to plan with construction of the track, local star Kallio - KTM's official test rider - is all but certain to get a wild-card for the 2019 Finnish MotoGP.

Before that, he will take part in at least five races during this year's world championship.

"At the moment the plan is for five races. So I will start from Jerez and then it will be Barcelona, Germany, Austria and Aragon," Kallio explained.

"Yeah it would be good [to race at Buriram as well] but we already decided that all the races I will do will be in Europe. That's easier for us.

"But you never know what can happen in the season and there is a maximum of six races that the test rider can do. So we still have one left after those five, so maybe we can use that also… you never know."

The new Thailand Grand Prix means this year's MotoGP calendar will consist of 19 rounds.

Finland's arrival the following year will be balanced by one less official pre-season test, although other countries are also in talks for a new MotoGP, including the long-running discussions with Indonesia and the recent revelation of a potential 'city-race'.