MotoGP plans record 21-rounds on provisional 2022 calendar

The MotoGP World Championship releases provisional calendar for the 2022 season.
Start MotoGP race, Grand Prix Of The Americas, 3 October 2021
Start MotoGP race, Grand Prix Of The Americas, 3 October 2021
© Gold and Goose Photography

MotoGP hopes to bounce back from two Covid-shortened seasons with a record 21-rounds for the 2022 world championship.

The sport planned to top 20 races for the first time in 2020, but the Covid pandemic instead saw the season slashed to just 14 races, all based in Europe, including five back-to-back events at the same track.

This season's tally increased to 18-races but six rounds were cancelled for the second year running (Argentina, Finland, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia) and the calendar was again padded out by four repeat visits to the same circuit (Losail, Portimao, Red Bull Ring, Misano).

Qatar and COTA were the only non-European races.

Some tracks, especially overseas, are likely to still have some limits in place for spectator numbers in 2022 and the calendar again comes with the caveat: 'All dates and events, as well as the attendance of spectators, are subject to the evolution of the pandemic and the approval of corresponding governments and authorities.'

Assuming no further Covid cancellations, MotoGP aims to start 2022 with the traditional Qatar season-opener on March 6 before an inaugural race at the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia, which will also host the final pre-season test on February 11-13.

Argentina should then return on April 3 with COTA the following weekend, forming the first of five back-to-back events, plus one triple header.

Portimao keeps this year's place as the opening European round while the season's second new event, at Finland's KymiRing, is scheduled for July 10, just before the summer break.

The end-of-season flyaway races will begin with Japan and Thailand, now forming a tripleheader with Aragon a week before, followed by a weekend off and then Australia and Malaysia.

As usual, Valencia will host the season finale, this time on November 6...

Provisional 2022 MotoGP Calendar

Round

Date

Race

Circuit

1

6 March

Qatar (Evening race)

Losail

2

20 March

Indonesia (Subject To Homologation)

Mandalika

3

3 April

Argentina

Termas

4

10 April

Americas

COTA

5

24 April

Portugal

Portimao

6

1 May

Spain

Jerez

7

15 May

France

Le Mans

8

29 May

Italy

Mugello

9

5 June

Catalunya

Barcelona

10

19 June

Germany

Sachsenring

11

26 June

Netherlands

Assen

12

10 July

Finland (Subject to homologation)

KymiRing

13

7 August

Great Britain

Silverstone

14

21 August

Austria

Red Bull Ring

15

4 September

San Marino e Della Riviera di Rimini

Misano

16

18 September

Teruel

Aragon

17

25 September

Japan

Motegi

18

2 October

Thailand

Buriram

19

16 October

Australia

Phillip Island

20

23 October

Malaysia

Sepang

21

6 November

Valencia

Ricardo Tormo

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