It will likely be some time before the 2025 MotoGP calendar is officially announced, with the normal release date usually being around the time of the San Marino Grand Prix in September.
But with some details emerging, we’re in a position to start speculating about what next year will look like amid what’s set to be a major change.
The first part of the new look came at last weekend’s British Grand Prix, when Silverstone announced that the race would be brought forward by two months to the last bank holiday weekend in May, a decision taken at the request of Dorna in preparation for a wider calendar overhaul.
The changes were hinted at when the race was announced for May 23-25, with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta hinting at a bigger reshuffle.
“As part of the 2025 calendar, which will be a new look for us in some ways, we are excited to celebrate the British Grand Prix at a different time of year outside the holiday period, giving more British fans the opportunity to come to Silverstone,” he said.
“As everyone knows, MotoGP is experiencing a strong trend towards positive growth in audiences and crowds around the world. We want to ensure that this event, in a key market, gets the platform and coverage that will enable it to play a greater role in this area.”
So what does that mean? Well, we’ve known for some time that the start of the 2025 season will be a little different, with traditional season opener Qatar set to miss out on hosting the opening race for the second time in three years.
The circuit was unable to host an early round last year due to extensive renovation work at the Losail Circuit, and instead took place in November ahead of MotoGP’s return in March this year, while the timing of the Islamic religious festival of Ramadan means the circuit cannot again host the season-opening round next year.
Instead, the repeatedly postponed Indian Grand Prix was initially expected to host the race, a welcome relief for the circuit thanks to the temperatures it faced on the opening leg there last September.
But that plan was recently backtracked by Dorna’s sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta, who suggested it would instead be a different round to open the season – which could mean the championship would instead start at a southern European circuit such as Jerez or 2023’s opening venue Portimao.
However, the biggest question mark about the calendar is perhaps this: He doesn’t do it. What happens instead of what? He does. 2024 has been filled with cancelled races, more than anything else, with four races so far either rearranged or cancelled outright.
It remains to be seen whether rounds like the rearranged Sokol circuit in Kazakhstan (or even the Indian round, after past editions) will feature – but if they are included in the draft schedule, it’s hard to imagine the initial calendar being treated as gospel.
