(Reuters) – MotoGP will have a new season-opening race in 2023 to allow for the completion of work at Qatar’s Lusail circuit, promoters Dorna said on Saturday.
The circuit, whose floodlit night race is confirmed on the calendar until at least 2031, will undergo extensive renovation and remodelling of the paddock area and facilities as well as the creation of new areas for spectators.
“Lusail will host the 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar upon completion of the work, meaning the event will therefore not be the opening round, as it has been from 2007,” Dorna said in a statement.
“Instead it will take place towards the end of the season.”
The fast and flowing circuit also made its debut on the Formula One calendar last November as one of four races in the Middle East.
The 2022 Soccer World Cup hosts also have a 10-year deal to host Formula One from 2023, with the possibility of moving to a new track.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Kirsten Donovan)
