The MotoGP race due to be held in Japan next month has been postponed until later in the year in the aftermath of Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.
The 9.0-magnitude quake caused cracks on the track and damaged spectator seats at the circuit in Motegi, to the north of Tokyo.
It is the latest in a list of sporting fixtures to be affected by the recent disaster in the Asian country, where there are also fears of a radiation leak from several explosions at a nuclear plant.
Japan is continuing to experience aftershocks from the quake which has already claimed the lives of thousands of people and left many more homeless.
The 18-race MotoGP season will now begin in Losail, Qatar on March 20. CNN International
It is the second year in succession that the Japanese round of the world championship has been rescheduled.
The race in 2010 was postponed from April to October following the volcanic ash crisis in Iceland that prevented most of the paddock from flying from Europe to the Far East.
International Motorcycling Federation spokeswoman Isabelle Larivier confirmed on Tuesday that the event had been postponed and rescheduled Sunday 2 October.
The revised date means the Japanese event will slot into the MotoGP calendar between the Aragon and Australian races. BBC Sport
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