Just after the weather tragedy suffered by Valencia, while the entire paddock was still in Sepang, Dorna Sports listened to most of the riders and decided to bring the MotoGP season to an end on another circuit, dedicating the last Grand Prix to the victims. Valencians.
It was the best decision to make, as racing at Valencia would have been both unwelcome and likely to cause problems, while stopping the season at Sepang would have left a bitter taste for millions of viewers around the world, not to mention the consequences commercial contracts concluded with all the structures concerned.
Once the decision was made, on Sunday November 3, five circuits quickly emerged as likely to host the last GP: Jerez, Aragon, Barcelona, Portimao and Doha. After a few hours of work, when time was running out, only Barcelona and Doha remained on the list, then the choice logically fell on the capital of Catalonia.
Why logically? Among other things because the five large aircraft planned to repatriate all the MotoGP cargo already had their flight plans established for Zaragoza, with a view to the Valencian Community Grand Prix.
Zaragoza airport, based on one of the three largest American NATO bases in Spain, has a runway long enough to serve as an emergency runway for the defunct American space shuttle, and has now specialized in commercial cargo, to the point of becoming the second airport with the highest air freight in Spain behind Madrid-Barajas Airport.
We also remember that Dorna Sports has already stored all the paddock freight there, including motorcycles, in secure hangars, during the Coronavirus crisis (See here).
Other reasons were also taken into account, such as the possibility of tires being supplied by Michelin and Pirelli, gasoline by Petronas for Moto2 and Moto3, etc.
Once Barcelona was made official, on Tuesday November 5, there was roughly a week left to prepare an event welcoming tens of thousands of people!
Certainly, Dorna Sports and the IRTA know the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit and its facilities by heart, thus simplifying the complex setting up of the paddock, but we still had to find the hundreds of local people, track marshals, doctors, staff supervision, security, etc. to manage the different sessions, passes, parking, etc. not to mention the unforeseen organization of the FIM MotoGP Awards evening, the MotoGP test the following Tuesday or the auctions in favor of Valencia…
In less than a week, Dorna Sports really did an amazing jobfrom the structural work to the smallest detail, thus offering those on site a perfect event!
To realize this, just watch the FIM MotoGP Awards ceremony in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, urgently rented in the Montjuïc park in Barcelona and adorned with tailor-made constructions and installations despite the limited time , or the deliberately unrented stands covered with huge custom-made tarpaulins printed “Racing for Valencia”!
These are just details in the middle of an incredibly complex organization that few people realize, but they are indicative of Dorna Sports' unique expertise in this area…
As MotoGP enthusiasts, everyone can be proud of the authorities at the helm of their favorite sport, starting with the impressive Carmelo Ezpeleta himself who we can never thank enough, and as a journalist, we must also know how to proclaim it loud and clear!
Bravo Dorna Sports!
