MotoGP 'cannot fail' at Jerez

MotoGP is taking no chances in terms of the safety protocol for its new season-opening races at Jerez, on July 19 and 26.

In the words of MotoGP Medical Director Dr. Ángel Charte "we cannot fail".

MotoGP 'cannot fail' at Jerez

MotoGP is taking no chances in terms of the safety protocol for its new season-opening races at Jerez, on July 19 and 26.

In the words of MotoGP Medical Director Dr. Ángel Charte "we cannot fail".

That's not just because of the obvious personal risk whenever an individual catches coronavirus, but because the rest of the revised season could well depend on MotoGP showing they can safely run the two 'closed-door' events at Jerez.

"I do not care that the state of emergency no longer exists... that we are already living the new normality… that people are on the beach; in the first grands prix at Jerez, on July 19 and 26, we will be extremely rigorous," Charte told El Periódico de Catalunya.

"We are going to lock ourselves in a bubble, we are going to control the 1,200 people in the 'paddock' [1,600 including circuit staff] to the minute! In these first two races we do not want surprises. We cannot fail. The coronavirus is still there and continues to be a danger. In a month, too."

The safety protocol will begin even before paddock members start travelling to Jerez:

“All the members of the paddock will have to pass [coronavirus] tests on Friday, July 10, stay at their house that weekend, and travel to Jerez on the Monday. And, from there, they will be in our hands, extremely controlled.

“We want everyone to be extremely disciplined. I know they will be. We have created an App, where every day at 7am the heads of each team will upload the data of all team members so that I can review them, give the go-ahead and start the day knowing that we are all healthy."

If a small outbreak is discovered in the paddock, treatment, quarantine and isolation procedures will be followed - but the event will continue.

“One thing is also clear: the World Championship will not stop, nor will it be suspended, due to the appearance of one or two cases in the paddock," Charte said. "Let us hope that it does not happen, we trust that it will not happen and we appeal to the responsibility of [those in the paddock] so that it does not happen.

"But if we detect any case it will be isolated, studied, the pertinent tests will be done to him and the members of his team or co-workers, and it will be decided whether to quarantine at the hotel or admit him to a hospital, since we have already established agreements with all the hospitals at the circuits we go to and, yes, especially the hospital in Jerez".

Charte confirmed that the "strict, very hard" protocol put in place for MotoGP could be softened for future events, providing Jerez is a success.

Read More