Motor racing: Kazakhstan set to host MotoGP race in 2023

PARIS - Kazakhstan will join the MotoGP calendar in 2023, promoters Dorna announced on Tuesday, as the premier category of the motorcycle world championship arrives in Central Asia for the first time.

"2023 marks the start of a new five-year deal that sees MotoGP touch down in a new region of the world," Dorna said in a statement.

The event, the date of which has not yet been communicated, will be at the Sokol circuit, described as "a brand-new motor sport complex constructed in the heart of Central Asia" located outside of Almaty, the largest city in the country.

Kazakhstan becomes the 30th country to host a Grand Prix since 1949.

Faced with a drop in attendance at certain European grands prix, the MotoGP promoter is looking to bounce back by expanding its global audience.

Dorna announced last week they are working with Indian authorities with a view to creating a grand prix in India "in the near future".

Earlier this month, Dorna signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia to soon host one of the rounds of the MotoGP world championship, without specifying a date or circuit.

For now, the official MotoGP calendar for next season has not yet been published but could feature 21 races, as was planned in 2022, before the cancellation of the Finnish GP.

Next year each event will feature two races, a sprint on Saturday and the grand prix on Sunday. AFP