I don't know if you've heard, but we've been hitting some record temperatures worldwide lately. It's getting so hot in certain locales, and no this is not the setup of the old joke, that monkeys are literally falling from the trees dead due to the heat.
That's not great if you ask me.
But it's getting so hot that even race organizers are having to weigh the pros and cons of holding events in hot and humid locations. And sometimes, even canceling the event, as just happened with the MotoGP race set to be held in India this year.
According to Dorna, MotoGP's current governing body, the Indian GP at the Buddh Circuit will not be held and instead, the previously canceled GP in Kazakhstan will replace it. The organizers for the race, Fairstreet Sports, told Motorsport, "The decision to move the race to March of next year, aiming for the first or second week, was a collective agreement among all stakeholders."
They added, “The unsuitable weather conditions in September posed significant challenges for both riders and marshals, as observed last year. With the support and vision of the government of UP, the race in March will be staged in a grander manner and will aim to set a new standard for excellence in motorsport events.”
The current temperature at the Buddh Circuit is 99 degrees Fahrenheit and, at the time of writing, it's 11 pm. Day temperatures have crossed 110 degrees. And based on my prior experiences at tracks, those temperatures are usually hotter once you hit the tarmac. Add a set of non-breathable leathers and a helmet and you have a recipe for riders falling off their bikes due to heat-exhaustion.
MotoGP will replace the Indian GP on the calendar for a race at the Kazakhstani GP that was previously canceled due to other weather events earlier this year. The country saw some of the worst flooding on record, which took the lives of eight people and saw countless others fleeing the area affected.
Weather, it seems, is becoming more chaotic across the globe and I have a feeling it's only going to affect more and more races in the future.
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