MotoGP teams always committed to race in Japan

None of the current MotoGP teams had threatened to boycott the Japanese Grand Prix in early October because of radiation fears in the area surrounding the Twin Ring Motegi.

Dorna and the FIM confirmed yesterday that the race will go ahead as planned on October 2 after an independent report said it was safe to travel to the area.

There had been concerns expressed about the levels of radiation following the damage suffered to the Fukushima nuclear plant in a huge earthquake back in March.

But ARPA, the independent agency commissioned to carry out the study, confirmed the results of its investigations showed the risk was ‘negligible’.

International Race Teams Association boss Mike Trimby told MCN that in discussions prior to the release of the independent report, no teams had informed him of their intention not to participate.

Almost all MotoGP riders signed a petition in Mugello earlier this month stating their intention not to travel to Japan, regardless of whether the ARPA report said it was safe to do so.

But Trimby said there had been no boycott threat from teams in support of the rider’s position and he told MCN: “The teams have always been committed to Japan. We haven’t had a meeting about it but all the team owners that I talked to said that unless there is independent evidence that it is dangerous to go there, they are going. Until someone brings in a piece of paper that says this is not safe, there is no reason not to go. They have all assured us they are going.”

Trimby said it was no surprise that the ARPA report confirmed the area surrounding the Twin Ring Motegi had been declared safe.

Worldwide government advice said it was safe in the area, and the World Health Organisation too.

Trimby added: “It would have been pretty sensational if they (ARPA) came out and said it was not safe. That’s not paddock news, that’s world news because it would have inferred that the Japanese government, all governments around the world and the World Health Organisation are lying.”