Silverstone gets September date on 2013 MotoGP calendar

The 2013 British Grand Prix will feature much later on the schedule after the Silverstone race was moved to a September date on the provisional calendar.

Next year’s race is due to take place on September 1 instead of the traditional mid-June slot, while Qatar’s night race will once again kick off the new campaign under the Losail International Circuit floodlights on March 31.

The only race on the 2012 schedule to be axed is the Estoril round in Portugal, though there is no official confirmation that the Circuit of the Americas in Texas or Argentina will form part of the 2013 calendar.

The second and third races due to take place on Aprili 14 and 21 are allocated for Texas and Argentina, but both are still to be confirmed and many expect at least one not to go ahead, meaning next year’s world championship campaign could be run over 17 and not 18 rounds.

As expected, India will not form part of the calendar, though as has been customary in recent years, the season will conclude in Valencia on November 10.

Here’s the full provisional schedule:

31 March – Qatar* Doha/Losail
14 April – TBC TBC
21 April – TBC TBC
05 May – Spain(STC), Jerez de la Frontera
19 May – France, Le Mans
2 June – Italy, Mugello
16 June – Catalunya, Catalunya
29 June – Netherlands**, Assen
14 July – Germany, Sachsenring
21 July – United States***, Laguna Seca
18 August – Indianapolis, Indianapolis
25 August – Czech Republic, Brno
01 September – Great Britain, Silverstone
15 September – San Marino & Riviera di Rimini, Marco Simoncelli Misano
29 September – Aragón, Motorland
13 October – Malaysia, Sepang
20 October – Australia, Phillip Island
27 October – Japan, Motegi
10 November – Valencia, Ricardo Tormo-Valencia

* Evening Race
** Saturday Race
*** Only MotoGP class
STC (Subject to the Contract)
TBC (To be confirmed)