No fans allowed at 2020 Portimao MotoGP season finale

The good news is that, at least for now, the Portimao MotoGP season finale is set to go ahead on November 20-22.

The bad news is that plans to have around 30,000 fans present for the circuit's inaugural MotoGP round have now been blocked by the prime minister.

Like many countries, Portugal is now battling to contain rising coronavirus cases but the final straw as far as fans being present for the MotoGP appears to have been a lack of social distancing among a similar number of F1 spectators at last month's four-wheel grand prix.

“What happened at the [F1] Grand Prix is unacceptable and cannot be repeated,” Reuters quotes Prime Minister Antonio Costa as saying.

“We have already told the organisers that the MotoGP race will be held without an audience because our inability to organise events of this scale with spectators has been revealed.”

The Portuguese MotoGP event, like most of the rounds this season, will thus be held behind closed doors.

Despite increasing restrictions on movement, MotoGP currently believes it can complete the final three events of a heavily revised 14-round season, which are due to be held at Valencia, Spain on November 6-8 and 13-15, and then Portimao.

But with the top four riders in the world championship - Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli - all covered by 25 points (the equivalent of a race win), the loss of even one event could have a major impact on the outcome of the title.