David Luongo Statement – COVID-19 outbreak
Dear MXGP Friends,
We have all been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. In such challenging time that brought the entire world to shut down for some weeks, my first words will go to all the medical care people, all around the world, that are fighting the virus and helping people that have been affected. Motorsports and medical care have always been linked, maybe more than any other sport, we all know somebody that is working and dedicating their life to help people, so I wish to all of them, on behalf of the MXGP family to keep strong and I give them all our respect!
The last weeks have been very special and busy. After the successful MXGP of The Netherlands in Valkenswaard where we witnessed the victory of Jeffrey Herlings in the MXGP class fighting with Tim Gajser but also the victory of Tom Vialle in the MX2 class, which is more open than ever, we had to face a lot of challenges due to the wide-spread of COVID-19 cases worldwide and the decision of many countries to shut down their economy and to close their borders.
In the last 2 weeks, we managed to postpone 9 Grand Prix that were supposed to take place between now and July and I would like to thank all the organizers (Argentina, Arco di Trento, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Maggiora, and the two GP in Indonesia), their national federations and the FIM for their help and understanding in such challenging time.
Here again the motorsport family proved to be united to find the best solution for preserving the 2020 MXGP World Championship.
The season should start again in Russia on the 6/7th of June and finish in Argentina on the 21/22th of November. It will be a very challenging season with a high rhythm during the summer period, sometimes 5/6 Grand Prix in a row. This current calendar still depends on the politics of each country regarding the evolution of the virus. We are in constant communication with the authorities to be updated regarding the situation and as you can understand, it evolves on a daily basis.
I want to confirm to everybody that the main intention of Infront Moto Racing is to do all what is possible, and sometimes also impossible, to deliver a complete, professional and worldwide championship. Our aim is to preserve the more than 3000 jobs present in the paddock, from journalists, mechanics, exposition partners, riders, trainers to logistics, organizers etc., and to go through this perfect storm with the less impact possible for MXGP.
On a more positive touch, our digital team is working to deliver some nice archives on our different platforms, including YouTube’s platform MXGPTV. You will be able to watch some of the most historical Motocross of Nations from the nineties up to now and much more content.
I wish to all of you, to all the riders, their family and to all our industry to stay in good health and remain positive.
David Luongo
CEO of Infront Moto Racing
Pic: Infront
