MotoGP head honcho Carmelo Ezpeleta is determined to run as full a schedule as he can this year and said the series will find somewhere hot at Christmas if necessary.

Currently, MotoGP is meant to have a 19-race calendar but the blue riband class will not run at Qatar this weekend due to the coronavirus outbreak and the Thai round has been put back to early October for the same reason.

Organisers in Argentina have said there is currently no problem while the Americans, due to run the Austin race on April 5, have been suspiciously quiet. It may turn out the season begins in May at Jerez.

“The minimum regulation is 13 but we aim to make 19. We are ready to run in countries where it is hot at Christmas,” said Ezpeleta, speaking at Losail.

“We will do everything we can to run the races. We will postpone them or change dates but our goal is to run the championship under the best possible conditions. Things are changing every day.”