MotoGP Returns to Brazil After 20 Years Amid Floods

MotoGP returns to Brazil this weekend for the first time in over two decades, with the Brazilian Grand Prix set to unfold at the revamped Autodromo Internacional de Goiânia amid heavy rainfall that has flooded parts of the circuit and threatened the event's schedule. The second round of the 2026 championship, starting Friday with practice sessions, draws a full field of 22 riders to the 3.835-kilometer track, where no current competitor has raced the premier class machinery before.

Organizers have mounted an intensive cleanup following torrential downpours on Monday and Tuesday, which submerged the paddock access tunnel under more than 25 centimeters of water and left standing pools in areas like Turn 1 and the final corner. Crews used tanker trucks to remove debris and dry the resurfaced asphalt, which reached 30 degrees Celsius under intermittent sun on Wednesday. Local authorities issued emergency alerts for Goiânia, advising residents to avoid flood-prone zones, while teams mobilized to prepare for Moto3 free practice at 9 a.m. local time. Forecasts predict ongoing thunderstorms through Sunday, potentially disrupting the extended one-hour morning practice and 75-minute...