2017 MotoGP Provisional Calendar Updated

The FIM today issued a revised and updated version of the provisional 2017 MotoGP calendar. The calendar features just a single change: the date of the German round of MotoGP at Sachsenring has been moved forward two weeks, and will now take place on July 2nd.

The change has both benefits and disadvantages. On the plus side, moving the date of the Sachsenring race means that the riders now have a proper summer break again, with a month off to recover between the Sachsenring and the following race at Brno.

Under the previous calendar, they had only three weeks between the German and Czech Grand Prix.

The downside is that the series now has another back-to-back race to contend with. Outside of the Pacific flyaway races (which are usually held on three consecutive weekends for reasons of cost and logistics), Dorna tries to avoid back-to-back races where possible.

There are now three pairs of European races on consecutive weekends: Mugello on June 4th and Barcelona on June 11th; Assen on June 25th and Sachsenring on July 2nd; and Brno on August 6th and Austria on of August 13th.

Notably, these pairings are all sequential, meaning the MotoGP grid will face three lots of back-to-back weekends in a row.

The 2017 MotoGP calendar is still provisional, though it is unlikely to change much further. The reason for the calendar not being made official is because contracts for the British Grand Prix and for Sepang still have to be formalized.

Sepang has made their intention clear, as the MotoGP race at the Malaysian circuit is its most popular event. As for the British Grand Prix, the Circuit of Wales still holds the contracts, and has to finalize details of a deal with Silverstone to run the race there.

The Provisional 2017 MotoGP Championship Calendar, Version 2:

Date	Grand Prix	Venue
March 26th	Qatar*	Losail International Circuit
April 9th	República Argentina	Termas de Río Hondo
April 23rd	Americas	Circuit of The Americas
May 7th	Spain	Circuito de Jerez
May 21st	France	Le Mans
June 4th	Italy	Autodromo del Mugello
June 11th	Catalunya	Barcelona – Catalunya
June 25th	Netherlands	TT Circuit Assen
July 2nd	Germany	Sachsenring
August 6th	Czech Republic	Automotodrom Brno
August 13th	Austria	Red Bull Ring – Spielberg
August 27th	Great Britain**	Silverstone Circuit
September 10th	San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini	Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
September 24th	Aragón	MotorLand Aragón
October 15th	Japan	Twin Ring Motegi
October 22nd	Australia	Phillip Island
October 29th	Malaysia**	Sepang International Circuit
November 12th	Comunitat Valenciana	Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo