Top circuit dropped so Turkey gets a MotoGP

London, England - The Brazilian motorcycle grand prix has been dropped from the MotoGP calendar for the 2005 season and replaced by the first Turkish grand prix, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) hs annouced.

"Following the lack of a signed contract, the Rio GP has been cancelled," it said. "The Turkish GP will take place at the new circuit of Istanbul on October 23."

The Portuguese round of the 17-race championship, which was to have been run on October 30 at Estoril, has been moved back April 17 to replace the Rio race.

A Brazilian race has featured in the World GP championship series intermittently since the late 1980s and in recent years has been held at the Nelson Piquet circuit in Rio de Janeiro.

Last year's Rio race was the only motorcycle grand prix in the Americas but this year the championship will return to Laguna Seca, near Monterey in California, for the MotoGP class only.

The as yet incomplete Kurtkoy circuit east of Istanbul - designed by Hermann Tilke who was responsible for both the Shanghai and Doha (Qatar) circuits - is also already scheduled to host a Formula 1 GP for the first time on August 21. - Reuters.