Carmelo Ezpeleta is the boss of Grand Prix promoter Dorna. At the end of November, he can contemplate the immensity of a work accomplished in a little over four months and which is a World Championship in the middle of a pandemic. A tour de force that was not obvious from the start of this year, with a paddock hit hard by COVID-19 and its economically deadly confinement. But the Spaniard never lost his good nature and he got his troops through the storm. He takes stock and talks about 2021…
Some no longer believed in the image of a Paolo ciabatti from home Ducati who was so depressing as to insist on the prospect of a blank year. By that I mean, without the slightest competition. Euthanasia for the motorcycle Grand Prix paddock which can congratulate itself on having had Carmelo Ezpeleta the controls. He established an economic backup plan, he redid a calendar, and he launched as soon as the coronavirus calmed down a little, to finish just before it became more virulent.
There have been 14 Grands Prix in Europe and World Champions, and, in 2021, it is planned 18 races, even across the seas. Carmelo Ezpeleta thus takes stock of this year of all the dangers: “ I don't usually do this, but this year I give everyone a 10. This championship deserves a 10. It was an exceptional year and this note goes to the behavior of the circuits, the teams, the drivers… »
Ezpeleta “what Mir said about fear was real”
« We have had a very low number of COVID-19 positives compared to the number of tests we have done, which have been around 25 with around 000 positives » adds the boss of Dorna. " I've seen the worry on people's faces these months not to catch it. What Mir said is true, there was fear of losing the title because of this. I have seen people who are very conscious and outside of here we have had cases that we have isolated ».
The foundations for 2021 have been launched, but the pandemic is still declared… “ I think we will do at least 18 races in 2021 and they will take place on the scheduled dates, in order to offer a consolidated show from March to November » still assures Ezpeleta. " I don't think next year will be like this, because the vaccine is on the way. I think it will start the same, but then it will improve if another disaster does not occur, which cannot be ruled out. Next year's championship will be much more normal than this one ».
