SRT: 'Europe heavy' calendar, Dorna 'pushing hard' for flyaways

The Petronas Yamaha team isn't giving up hope of having a home Malaysian MotoGP in 2020.

An updated calendar, reshaped by the coronavirus, features 13 all-European rounds at eight different circuits, with the fate of the four remaining flyaways - including Sepang - still to be decided.

"The initial calendar is Europe-heavy, but Dorna are pushing hard for non-European races too, with a deadline of the end of July to finalise the schedule," said Petronas Yamaha team principal Razlan Razali

"There is still the possibility that we will make visits to America, Argentina, Thailand and/or Malaysia.

"Given how much progress has been made in the past seven weeks, there’s a lot of potential for many positive things to happen in the next seven weeks before the deadline."

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has stated that flyaway races will only be held - in a window from November 22-December 13 - if fans are allowed to attend, for cost reasons.

Buriram and Sepang are seen as having the best chance, but while Gun N' Roses famously sang about November Rain, December rain could be an issue for a rescheduled Malaysian Grand Prix - last year's inaugural Sepang 8 Hours endurance race (December 14) being reduced to just three hours of competitive action by a sustained downpour.

Meanwhile, Razali hopes that the closed-door restrictions that will greet MotoGP's opening pair of races at Jerez in mid-July can eventually be eased.

"Whilst we will be returning to race action, it will look rather different at the track," he said. "The first races will be without fans and with fewer people in the paddock than previously.

"In time, we hope to work back to normality but for now there are restrictions in place."

Fabio Quartararo will be competing in his second and final season for Petronas Yamaha this year, before moving to the factory team.

Sepang is yet to announce any riders for 2021, but is tipped to run Valentino Rossi alongside current rider Franco Morbidelli.