Dutch Grand Prix to make Sunday switch in 2016

The Dutch round of the MotoGP championship will break with tradition by switching from Saturday to a Sunday slot from next season out of financial necessity, local organisers said on Thursday.

The Tourist Trophy (TT) at Assen is the only round of the championship to be held on a Saturday and is the oldest race on the calendar, dating back to 1925 and held every year since then with the exception of World War Two.

The TT Board said in a MotoGP statement on Thursday that the change would bring more spectators to the event and increase media exposure.

"The decision to move the race to Sunday was made out of sheer necessity," it said. "The number of motorcycle grands prix around the world is limited, and often there is more capital available elsewhere to obtain a MotoGP licence.

"In this competitive environment, the TT Assen can only hold its own by increasing the number of visitors. With an increase in the number of visitors, the Board expects the turnover of the TT to increase by 5-10 percent in the medium to long-term."