While the shortest circuit on the calendar is popular with fans – 93,000 on race day – and many riders enjoy its quirky nature, it is generally held to be too tight for MotoGP bikes, and the future of the German GP at the traditional Saxony venue is in doubt. While the contract was renewed until 2021, the venue for next year’s race has not yet been confirmed, with Dorna chief Ezpeleta promising an announcement in the coming weeks.
The Nürburgring or the Lausitzring mooted as possible alternatives, but the sports president of the sanctioning club, ADAC, sounded a note of hope. “We are already on the home straight in our negotiations with the Sachsenring,” he said.
The area, close to the city of Chemnitz (the erstwhile Karl-Marx-Stadt during East German days) is a traditional motorcycle sports venue dating back to before the Second World War, with the MZ factory nearby.
Footnote: At the same time, Dorna announced that Finland is due to join the MotoGP calendar in 2018, with the new Kymiring circuit already under construction. Indonesia and Thailand are also likely to join the calendar shortly.
By Michael Scott