NTS RW Racing GP back in action in July
On July 19, Bo Bendsneyder and Jesko Raffin will be racing for points again with their NTS Moto2 machines for the first time in months in the Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez. Dorna and the FIM today announced the calendar for the remainder of the MotoGP season. There are thirteen races in Europe waiting until mid-November, with maybe four more overseas.
NTS RW Racing GP team manager Jarno Janssen is happy that there is finally some clarity. “The past three months have been difficult due to the uncertainty. Racing is our passion, so I am very happy that it will start again in mid-July in Jerez. We hope that we can pick up and maintain Qatar’s positive line there.”
Janssen still sees a number of challenges. For example, the new calendar is fully packed, with thirteen races in nineteen weeks. There are double race weekends in Jerez, Spielberg, Misano, Aragon and Valencia and single races in Brno, Le Mans and Barcelona. “We have to see how it goes. We all depend on how the corona pandemic develops. Local conditions and the consent of authorities in terms of travel options, especially for people from outside Europe, will be crucial.”
This week the teams were sent a protocol of no less than 55 pages. The guidelines state, among other things, that the races are held behind closed doors with a limited number of people, which means that no one is admitted who is not directly needed for the races – including sponsors, guests or press with permanent passes. “This leaves a lot of uncertainty,” says Janssen. “After all, we depend on our partners. We are not allowed to receive them on the tracks, but we do have hefty costs, partly due to the strict regulation that no one can stay overnight in the paddock, but everyone must stay in hotels, one person per room. How that goes, during the holiday period moreover, is still a question mark.”
Check out the new calendar HERE