Scheduled for November 7 in Japan, the Suzuka 8 Hours are canceled due to the health crisis which has worsened in the archipelago in recent weeks.
In order to support the FIM EWC 2021 calendar, a new European event, the 8 Hours of Most, is added to the calendar to replace the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, initially scheduled for May.
The 8 Hours of Most, the final round of the 2021 FIM EWC world championship and the FIM Endurance World Cup, will take place on Saturday October 9 in the Czech Republic during a double motorcycle and car event with a WTCR event.
After consultation with local authorities, Mobilityland, organizer of the Suzuka 8 Hours, the FIM, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, and Eurosport Events, promoter of the FIM EWC, have decided to cancel the Suzuka 8 Hours which was to take place on November 7, 2021 at Japan.
This major event of the FIM Endurance World Championship will take place in July 2022.
A new European event is already included on the FIM EWC 2021 calendar. The 8 Hours of Most will take place on Saturday October 9 in the Czech Republic as part of a double event which will bring together FIM EWC and FIA WTCR. These two international series organized by Eurosport Events have already been linked in Slovakia and Sepang in Malaysia.
This new European event replaces the Oschersleben race, initially scheduled for May 2021.
After the Bol d'Or which will take place on September 18 and 19 at Le Castellet, the 1st edition of the 8 Hours of Most on October 9 will be the 2021 final of the FIM Endurance World Championship and the FIM Endurance World Cup. The points scale will be valued at 150% as provided for in the regulations, i.e. 45 points to be taken for the winner of the event in each category.
Jorge Viegas, President of the International Motorcycling Federation
“Unfortunately, what we feared most has now happened. An exponential increase in the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Japan after the Olympics means that the Japanese government will now not allow the Suzuka 8 Hours to go ahead as planned, despite enormous efforts by Mobilityland and Eurosport Events. On behalf of the FIM, I would like to offer a word of optimism for the future, as I am convinced that this flagship event will return stronger than ever. And when it does, we will be there with the MFJ, Mobilityland and Eurosport Events.
In order to maintain the number of events, we will activate plan B with a race at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic on October 9. It will be a mixed car and motorcycle event as was the case in Slovakia and Malaysia two years ago. »
Kaoru Tanaka, President and CEO of Mobilityland Corporation
« We were in full preparation for the “Coca Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance race which was to be held for the first time in two years but a difficult decision had to be made. We had no choice but to cancel. It is very regrettable for us to be forced to cancel the Suzuka 8 Hours for the second year in a row because it is a very important race for everyone. But we will continue our preparation for the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2022 to make it an event more attractive than ever for the fans and for all its stakeholders.."
François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events
« We have resigned ourselves to canceling the Suzuka 8 Hours after consultation with the local authorities. I share the disappointment of Mobilityland, the endurance teams, the fans, sponsors and broadcasters who would all have liked to end the season at the beginning of November at Suzuka. We will stay in Europe after the Bol d'Or to run an 8-hour race on October 9 on the Most circuit which has just hosted the WSBK. Eurosport Events will do everything possible with the FIM to ensure the success of this race. »
