Suzuka, Ecclestone, say no nuclear risk for Japan GP

Bernie Ecclestone on Saturday allayed fears that the nuclear crisis will affect October’s Japanese grand prix.

Leading MotoGP riders Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo have announced that they will boycott October’s MotoGP race at Motegi, which is just 100km from the damaged Fukushima power plant.

"I will not go and most riders have the same opinion," said Australian Stoner.

Also in October, Japan will host a F1 race, but the Suzuka circuit is much further away from Fukushima.

Suzuka spokesperson Masaru Unno said on Saturday that the distance is so great that there is no health risk to F1’s travellers.

And F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone also said at the Nurburgring that the Japanese GP "will go on as usual".

"I don’t think people would ask everyone to go there if it wasn’t safe," added the Briton, who said he has seen a dossier on newly recorded radiation levels at Suzuka.