MotoGP announces provisional schedule for 2022

We’re still winding down the 2021 MotoGP season, but the bigwigs at Dorna have already released a tentative schedule for the 2022 season.

So far, there are 21 races slated to run over 35 weeks, with racers criss-crossing the globe, including two separate trips to Asia, a run to the Americas, and a visit to Australia.

Most of this year’s schedule is based around familiar tracks like Losail (once again, the season-opening event, on March 6) and Valencia (the season-closer, on November 6). However, MotoGP did insert two new events this season, in Indonesia and Finland.

The Indonesia race at Mandalika International Street Circuit follows Losail, on March 20. It’s still pending homologation, same as Finland’s KymiRing race on July 10, which makes you wonder what exactly the FIM has been doing for the past two years. Surely they could have gotten the paperwork done and the tracks safety certified? MotoGP was actually supposed to race at the KymiRing last summer (canceled due to COVID, replaced by the Styrian GP), so you’d think that circuit would be good to go. Nope, it’s still waiting to be approved.

All the globe-trotting is likely to result in some hiccups for 2022, just as it did in 2021 and 2020, with events canceled due to regional COVID outbreaks, or other coronavirus-related snags. There’s also the possibility of a flap over the visit to Texas next April; when racers went to the Austin GP last weekend, several of the top riders complained about the track’s condition, saying it was too bumpy. Will Circuit of the Americas be able to fix the issues before next season’s race? We’ll find out next April when the riders show up.

Provisional 2022 MotoGP Calendar