After the events of last year both on and off the track , and global appetite for the current campaign seems higher than ever in regard to the 2021 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship . We cannot ignore that the Coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) pandemic continues to have an impact on the current series , with it forcing changes to the 2021 calendar to date , but despite these ongoing challenges there is real optimism that over the coming months conditions will continue to improve and that we can all enjoy a full as possible programme of racing .
The series kicked off in late March with backto-back rounds at the Losail International Circuit , Qatar before then heading back to Europe for the following events in Portugal – Portimao ; Spain – Jerez , and France – Le Mans . Next up was Italy - Mugello ; Spain – Barcelona ; Germany – Sachsenring and the Netherlands – Assen before the summer break .
The double encounter in Austria – Red Bull Ring marked the start of the second half of the season ahead of Great Britain – Silverstone that brought August to a close . September will signal the end of the current European leg with races in Spain – Aragon and Italy – Misano before the riders and teams head further afield for the next high speed encounter .
Missing from the final 2020 schedule due to COVID-19 it is great to see the United States – Circuit of the Americas as part of the 2021 FIM MotoGP™World Championship , as the series leaves Europe momentarily before returning for a second visit to Italy – Misano .
As has become traditional for so many years Valencia – Spain will be the setting for the season finale in mid-November , but not before the series has visited the Autodromo do Algarve – Portugal also for a second time in 2021 .
2021 started with a new name as FIM World Champion , with Joan Mir looking to defend the crown that he captured late last year after a disrupted but nevertheless enthralling title fight that swung several ways during an intense second part of the season . There were no less than nine different winners in the premier class in 2020 , and have already been eight this season to date . Factoring in this , and riders recovering from injury , those who have changed teams and those desperate to make their mark , 2021 is proving to be another memorable season of Grand Prix racing as it celebrates its seventy-second edition .
I have every faith , as was shown last year and this season to date , that all the stakeholders will continue to work closely together and collaborate in the best possible way to deliver another hugely successful FIM MotoGP™ World Championship . With this in mind , on behalf of the FIM , I would like to thank our promoter Dorna , the manufacturers , the riders , the teams , the circuit owners , the volunteers , the media and the officials , and all those involved in the wider Road Racing Grand Prix community . Together I am sure you will continue to make 2021 one of the best seasons ever .
Jorge Viegas FIM President
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