Can you believe that there are 18 rounds on the MotoGP calendar this year? It is unprecedented to have so many races to enjoy throughout the season, but if DORNA has its way, we could be getting even more races in years to come. Wouldn’t that be great? Not for the racers, and they aren’t shy about saying so.
More MotoGP Races Could Mean Unhappy Riders
It is no secret that the Chang International Circuit is trying to become a part of the MotoGP calendar. It has been a scheduled stop for the World Superbike paddock since 2015, but several logistics have made it a hard sell for MotoGP.
The Chang Circuit is in Buriram, Thailand, which is around 250 miles north of the country’s capital—Bangkok. This means hours of travelling through winding jungle roads to get to the racetrack, a feat that can make transporting race bikes to the track time consuming and expensive.
Not only is the track a bit hard to get to, but it is also not a favorite spot of legendary MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi. The racer bemoaned the location of the track during the Catalunya GP press conference, he also had a few choice words about the track itself. He claimed that there were not enough turns to make racing exciting, and that the straights were far too long.
This opinion from Yamaha rider Rossi isn’t too unexpected though. The Yamaha M1 is known for being good around corners, but not as great under hard acceleration. The power of the Honda RCV213V and the Ducati GP17 would undoubtedly give those bikes the advantage over the quick turning M1. However, Rossi made another, less biased, point that many of the other top riders jumped to agree with.
Riding for 18 races is already tough, but 19 or 20 may be asking too much. When Vale brought up this point, rival Marc Marquez, and Maverick Viñales were quick to chime in their agreement. They questioned whether racers could stay in peak physical condition for such a demanding schedule, though the burden could make the racing more exciting.
Do you think better racing is worth the price of racer health? The motorcycling attorneys at the Metier Law Firm would like to know. Comment below or head over to our Facebook to tell us what you think.