Azakh MotoGP cancelled and replaced by Emilia-Romagna race

The Kazakhstan MotoGP scheduled for September has been cancelled due to issues caused by devastating floods in the country earlier this year, and will be replaced by Emilia-Romagna.

Organisers announced on Monday that the Misano circuit in Italy will stage a second event this season on September 22, two weeks after it hosts the San Marino Grand Prix.

Kazakhstan had been set to welcome riders for the first time last month, but unprecedented bad weather and flooding across Central Asia caused a national emergency.

"Operational and logistical issues arising from the earlier flooding across the region have rendered the event impossible to hold in 2024," read a statement from MotoGP officials.

The race was initially pushed back until later this year, taking the spot of the Indian Grand Prix, which was scrapped in May after making its series debut in 2023.

Last year's planned race in Kazakhstan was also shelved because of continuing works on the circuit.

Riders will instead stay in Italy for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the third event of the year in the country. The Italian MotoGP took place at Mugello in June.

The Emilia-Romagna GP was held in 2020 and 2021 as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The season resumes in early August with the British MotoGP at Silverstone. Two-time defending world champion Francesco Bagnaia of Italy leads the standings by 10 points from Spain's Jorge Martin.