Words: Adam Wheeler

The 2016 FIM MXGP World Championship dropped to 18 from 19 rounds with the unexpected cancellation of the first Grand Prix of Malaysia last week.

The trip to the Sepang Circuit was scheduled to be round three and the final part of a gruelling three-week stretch between Qatar, Thailand and the venue close to Kuala Lumpur.

Series promoters Youthstream revealed that the reason for the fixture dropping away was to do with local organisers dealing with the popular Formula One and MotoGP facility and where MXGP would have profited from the permanent infrastructure with a temporary course.

“There were internal issues between the local promoter (Malaysian Major Events) and the circuit of Sepang,” commented Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo exclusively. “They are working to clear these issues for 2017.”

A consequence of Malaysia’s departure from the MXGP slate meant that Spain and the Talavera de la Reina circuit assumed the ‘TBC’ date on 29 May and round nine on the calendar. There were signs that the town southwest of Madrid would run a third event in as many years after attending the annual Organisers Meeting with Youthstream several weeks ago.

It is believed that former grand prix site Bellpuig in Catalunya is keen to welcome MXGP again to the northeast, but Talavera were able to confirm their slot that will happen after the Grand Prix of Trentino in Italy and just before the French outing at St Jean d’Angely at the edge of summer.

“For the 29th of May we were in discussion with several possible venues and finally we are happy to have finalised an agreement with Talavera de la Reina in Spain,” Luongo added.

MXGP will visit fifteen different countries and four continents in 2016.

Provisional 2016 MXGP World Championship calendar:
Rd1 – 27 February – Losail, Qatar
Rd2 – 6 March – Suphan Buri, Thailand (TBC)
Rd3 – 28 March – Valkenswaard, The Netherlands
Rd4 – 10 April – Neuquen, Patagonia Argentina
Rd5 – 17 April – Leon, Mexico
Rd6 – 1 May – Kegums, Latvia
Rd7 – 8 May – Teutschenthal, Germany
Rd8 – 15 May – Trentino, Italy
Rd9 – 29 May – Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Rd10 – 5 June – St Jean d’Angély, France
Rd11 – 19 June – Matterly Basin, Great Britain
Rd12 – 26 June – Mantova, Italy
Rd13 – 24 July – Loket, Czech Republic
Rd14 – 31 July – Lommel, Belgium (TBC)
Rd15 – 7 August – Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Rd16 – 28 August – Assen, The Netherlands
Rd17 – 3 September – Charlotte Motor Speedway, United States
Rd18 – 11 September – Glen Helen, United States