MotoGP Postpones 2011 Japanese GP

The 2011 schedule of the MotoGP has just received a slight adjustment, as it has been confirmed that this year's Japanese GP has been postponed in the wake of the tragic incidents that have hit the country in recent days.

The recent earthquake and tsunami that have hit Japan last week has left the Asian country in despair, with reconstruction efforts commencing all over the regions affected by the catastrophic events. Under the circumstances, holding a MotoGP event at Motegi almost a month from now would be unrealistic, the Japanese officials decided.

According to a report from the Associated Press, a spokesman for the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) confirmed that the race will be postponed, with discussions to be held later on for a rescheduling of the event.

According to Autosport, it seems that a date has already been picked by the FIM for the 2011 Japanese GP, but is yet to be confirmed. Given that the championship has a 4-week break following the race at Aragon on September 16, the most likely date for the race in Japan would be in the first weekend of October.

If the Motegi event would eventually be rescheduled, this would be the second consecutive year in which the Japanese GP would be reprogramed in the MotoGP. Last year, the race was postponed from its traditional April date to October due to the volcanic ash that had affected the air travel from and Europe to worldwide destinations.