Written by Vyas Ponnuri
MotoGP is all set to return to India, once again. The Buddh International Circuit, located in the Greater Noida region of Uttar Pradesh, is all set to return to the premier class of motorbike racing, with the local government in the state signing a three-year contract with the series to host the Indian race until 2027.
Top-tier motorsport in India has seen a tumultous 2024, with Formula E at Hyderabad cancelled in January, A proposed location for Formula One in the future, the GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) City near the major city of Ahmedabad seeing progress stall, while the fate of MotoGP hung in the balance as the months ticked along.
The imminent cancellation of the Indian round in October saw Kazakhstan take the vacated spot, which led to a series of events that later saw the latter round too cancelled, due to flooding and operational and logistical hurdles surrounding the event. A second Italian round at Misano was later added to fill this open slot in October.
While the cancellation of MotoGP's highly-anticipated event was eventually confirmed halfway through the year, speculations arose as to why the event hit a roadblock. Some suggested the event was cancelled due to unpaid dues, a possibility due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) imposed due to the Indian general elections in the months of April and May.
Another plausible reason for the event being removed from its usual October slot stemmed from concerns of riders and teams, with temperatures reaching upto 35 °C across the weekend, despite a rain shower early on Saturday.
Sprint race winner Jorge Martin experienced dehydration in Parc Ferme, while KTM's Brad Binder complained of the tyres almost falling off the 'cliff' at the end of the inaugural Grand Prix of Bharat. Add to this the case of the main race on Sunday shortened by three laps, and the hot air emitted by the exhausts of the bikes ahead, and you get a fair idea of the challenges the riders faced.
Additionally, the event witnessed issues with personnel on the paddock receiving their visas late for the event, with fixes required in the backrooms to ensure the paddock has a smoother entry into the subcontinent.
However, the event is set to be in safe hands for the next three years, with a stable state government signing a contract directly with Dorna, the commercial rights holder for the championship. The event has been pencilled in for March 2025, to be the second round of the year after the season opener in Qatar.
The window in March presents a favourable opportunity to host the event, with temperatures expected to be much cooler, in the range of 27 to 30 °C and much more favourable to host the three-day weekend before the scorching summer kicks in.
“We’re very happy to announce this new agreement made directly with the government of Uttar Pradesh,” Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, said.
“The inaugural Indian Grand Prix was a key success and brought an enormous amount of value to both MotoGP and our host region of Uttar Pradesh, so it’s fantastic we are able to continue building that together into the future.
“India is an essential market for MotoGP, with a healthy, established audience for the racing, and one we know we can increase exponentially. There are also hundreds of millions of two-wheeled vehicles used across the country every day, making it vital for our manufacturers and for the sport itself thanks to MotoGP’s position as the pinnacle of two wheels.
“We’re very proud to work directly with the government of Uttar Pradesh to bring MotoGP back to India, and Uttar Pradesh and Buddh International Circuit, for the next three seasons.”
There's no doubt India is a mass market the series shouldn't give a miss, with the subcontinent being among the highest producers of two-wheelers on the planet. With a large proportion of youngsters from the country tuning into motorsport too, plenty of potential lies in wait for the series to create a massive following and capture the attention of the Indian populace.
Comments