Rising COVID-19 case numbers and the unpredictable course of the pandemic have now led the IDM organizers to cancel the planned start of the IDM season at the Lausitzring.
The opening round of the 2021 International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) was scheduled to take place from April 30 to May 2, 2021, at the motorsports complex in Lower Lusatia. “We fought long and hard to be able to hold the races as planned. But we need assurances for everyone involved to make such an event possible. This applies to the organizers, partners, teams, and riders. We lacked these assurances, both in the form of official approvals and in ensuring the necessary medical care in the region. This would have forced us to take an incalculable risk. We cannot do this due to our responsibility toward all involved and out of respect for the pandemic situation. In addition, current national and international restrictions do not allow for the championship races to proceed in an orderly and fair manner. Consequently, we had to make this decision two weeks before the scheduled start of the IDM,” explains series manager Normann Broy regarding the cancellation.
Over the past five years, the IDM has once again become a highlight of motorcycle road racing. In the premier IDM Superbike 1000 class alone, riders from ten countries have registered this year. Interest remains undiminished despite the limited number of races held last season. Despite the COVID-19 crisis, the IDM organizers were among the few to pull out all the stops as early as 2020 to put together at least a short and compact season.
“The coronavirus has now thrown a wrench in our plans for the start of the 2021 season,” Broy notes, “but that won’t stop us from finding solutions to ensure a successful season, just as we did last year.”