MotoGP hosted five more races in 2021 than it did during the 2020 season, but organizers had to play musical chairs with the calendar throughout the year. Despite holding 18 rounds in 2021, MotoGP organizing body Dorna had to cancel the Japanese, Finnish, Australian, Malaysian, and Thailand rounds due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
When the series’ 2022 provisional calendar surfaced in October, 2021, it looked like Grand Prix racing might return to normal in the new year. The packed schedule included 21 rounds with eight rounds outside of Europe. However, the Delta and Omicron waves have forced many countries to uphold or reinstate international traveler restrictions—including quarantines upon arrival.
