Publications
• The opening two races of the MotoGP season will take place in Jerez, Spain
• The season has been on hold due to the coronavirus
• The third race will be held in Brno, Czech Republic
The Czech Republic MotoGP in Brno on August 9 will be held behind closed doors due to concerns about the novel coronavirus, organisers said Friday.
The Brno race is the third scheduled for this year after two grands prix in Jerez, Spain, with the season opener set for July 19.
"Despite all our efforts, this year's race will be held without an audience for security reasons," the regional government based in Brno said in a statement, adding that tickets already purchased remained valid for next year.
The season was originally scheduled to start on March 8 in Qatar before COVID-19 tore through the global sporting calendar.
The Czech Republic has handled the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well owing to timely measures, recording just over 350 deaths and 12 000 confirmed cases.
But Czech health authorities have urged caution over a recent spike in new cases in the northeastern part of the country.
