Jerez to Remain in the MotoGP Until 2016

Jerez is set to open its gates to MotoGP action for an additional 5 years, after it was reported that the local government agreed a new contract with Dorna Sports, official promoter of the aforementioned series, until the 2016 campaign of the premier motorcycle racing championship.

Nothing has been signed just yet, as both Dorna Sports and the officials of the Jerez de la Frontera circuit are still to issue an official statement on the extension, but Motocuatro.com reports that Luciano Alonso, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Commerce for Andalucia confirmed his support for the circuit, as it attracts major investment and publicity through the MotoGP event.

Not long ago, the future of the Jerez circuit – which also used to host a race in Formula 1 too – in the MotoGP series had been in doubt due to financial difficulties experienced by the local organizers. Reportedly, Jerez de la Frontera had debts dating back to 2005, as reported by crash.net.

When the news will be made official, Spain will be confirmed as the only country in the MotoGP calendar to have no less than 4 annual races in the series – Motorland Aragon, Jerez, Valencia and Barcelona.

While some have too many races, others may lose their only circuit in the series. Such is the case of Czech Republic, whose Brno Masaryk circuit reportedly finished the year 2010 with a financial hole of EUR3.5 million. According to GPOne.com, circuit president Ivana Ulmanova is not very keen on continuing Brno's experience in the MotoGP under the circumstances, hinting that 2011 might be the venue's last presence in the championship.