Icy Jerez: what will conditions be like for the SBK (and MotoGP) tests?

The 2021 MotoGP and Superbike seasons are already facing setbacks. As for MotoGP, and despite Dorna going everything to come up with an ‘action plan’ for the February test in Sepang, these sessions have now been cancelled due to Covid-19 and another lockdown in Malaysia. The Superbikes, meanwhile, are expected to test at Jerez next week (20-21 January) but the weather conditions appear far from ideal.

A freezing cold Jerez

Although it usually enjoys a mild climate, Spain is in the middle of a cold snap. The Jerez circuit shared images of the track on social media this morning and it is, quite literally, frozen: “The drop in temperatures across Spain is also affecting us here – the post reads – It hasn’t snowed, only in parts of the mountainous area of Cadiz, like Grazalema, Villaluenga, etc ... During cold winters like this, the dew or damp freezes due to the drop in temperatures overnight and so you see strange scenes like this, where the edges of the track are almost white due to the thin layer of ice on the grass”.

 Few alternatives for SBK and MotoGP

We hope that conditions pick up for the SBK riders, as well as a few MotoGP riders, in time for next week’s test or it’s going to be a flop. And what are the alternatives for SBK and MotoGP? Right now, if the only option are European tracks, then there is little to no choice. Which means that the riders might face a 2021 season that is even more complicated than 2020.

Translated by Heather Watson

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