KUALA LUMPUR: The Motorsports Association of Malaysia has lined up several motorsports activities this year after suffering a major setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic last season.

Association president Tan Sri Mokhzani Tun Mahathir said among the events on the cards this month were the final round of the 2020 Malaysia Superbike Championship, Kart Racing & Development Championship and also the first round of the Toyota Gazoo Championship.

Besides the three events, it also plans to organise the association's Speedweek and SIC MiniGP Championship in March, which will be the platforms to mould talented youngsters in two-wheel events.

“Looking for a semblance of normalcy is not something that the association is looking forward to in 2021, as the new normal is already ingrained in the minds of the people, but it is the same case everywhere else in the world,” he was quoted as saying in a statement on Friday.

“In F1 and MotoGP, protocols are in place for teams to mitigate the spread of any cases and they implemented travel restrictions to keep teams and other specific groups separated in a manner they describe as a ‘bubble,” he added.

Mokhzani also pointed out that the association would implement better standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the safety of all parties involved in their programmes or competitions.

“We will try our best to ensure that the pandemic will not hinder the progress of our young talents, nor discourage teams and sponsors from being part of Malaysian motorsports in 2021,” he said.

The 2020 season saw the cancellation and postponement of several domestic motorsports competitions due to Covid-19 pandemic, such as the Petronas Malaysian Cup Prix Championships, the SIC MiniGP and also the association's Speedway Championship.

At the international level, the 2020 Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, slated to be held from Oct 30 to Nov 1, 2020, was called off following the spike in Covid-19 cases, forcing the government to impose travel bans against several countries.

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