Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Madison Cooper
Fans were overjoyed when it was announced that MotoGP would return to Finland for the first time since 1982, back in 2020. The Finnish Motorcycle Grand Prix was set to take place at the KymiRing circuit.
A country rich in motorsport royalty, MotoGP was set to embark on a new endeavour at the KymiRing, a 2.796-mile circuit located near the Russian border, 68 miles north of Helsinki.
Originally scheduled to debut in 2020, then 2021, and then 2022, the Finnish Grand Prix was never ultimately finished, meaning that we never got to see a race at the KymiRing.
But why? After so much anticipation, what happened to the Scandinavian MotoGP dream?
The Track
A quirky little track located in the Iitti region of Finland, the KymiRing was set to be a Scandinavian superstar of a track. Set to host not just MotoGP, the Formula 1 dream was certainly achievable for the KymiRing.
With a capacity of over 100,000, the 18-turn, 2.796-mile track twisted and turned through the Finnish forest, a feature unique to major racing series like MotoGP.
The KymiRing was not only built to be a race circuit, either. It was also meant to serve as an economic breakthrough for the Finnish government, as well as a facility for safety and driver training. Additionally, it would be used as a venue for festivals and events.
After breaking ground in 2016, they signed a contract a year later for a five-year deal with Dorna to hold MotoGP there, starting in 2020. An official MotoGP taster test was held at the track in August 2019, attracting fans from all over the country.
It all seemed to be going perfectly, despite comments about the ‘boring’ layout. The track was on course for completion and was set to debut a year later.
The undulating nature of the surrounding terrain made the KymiRing a very unusual and unique prospect. That, mixed with Finland’s unpredictable climate, made the track seem particularly exciting.
Issues and Cancellations faced by MotoGP's Finnish Grand Prix
The Finnish Grand Prix was initially cancelled with many other races due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued travel restrictions meant the grand prix was again postponed in 2021, but hopes seemed high for an eventual belated debut in 2022.
Yet the Russia-Ukraine war and Finland’s NATO proposal caused seeds of worry for Dorna about the geopolitical situation rising. With the track not too far from the Russian border, the race was yet again cancelled in 2022.
And after that, we never heard of it again. The track was not included in the 2023 calendar and likely never will be.
Even if it appeared that the track’s bad luck would primarily be chalked up to external factors, it must be said that such factors were not the only reason for its demise.
Homologation issues with the circuit were part of the announced reason for the 2022 cancellation.
A breakdown in the supply chain due to the war and developers being placed into administration with £25 million in debt meant the track was never able to be ready for racing.
In simple terms, the track went bankrupt, and there was no way that the premier class of motorcycle racing would be able to race there.
Dorna then later sued the KymiRing for €6 million, and with the situation getting messy, the Scandinavian dream and a 40-year-plus wait to return to Finland looked unlikely for MotoGP.
What’s Next?
The KymiRing joins a long list of failed MotoGP projects that are now unlikely ever to return or feature on the main stage.
The Circuit of Wales, Kazakhstan Grand Prix and Indian Grand Prix are just a few examples of big, aspirational and brave projects by MotoGP that have never worked out in favour of Dorna.
It also reflects a notion of low confidence for motorsport in Scandinavia, with the talks of a potential F1 race on the streets of Copenhagen being scrapped due to little to no possible investment. Such can be chalked up to worries about the financial benefit of the event.
There was some hope when, in May 2023, Formula One winner Valtteri Bottas was rumoured to be in talks about reviving the circuit and helping it achieve a FIA Grade One license to host Formula One.
But those talks surmounted to nothing, with the damage seemingly being done and the concept being far too challenging.
Originally, when the project began, Finland had a MotoGP rider in Mika Kallio. Now, there is no Scandinavian, let alone Finnish rider in MotoGP, Moto2, or Moto3, with the highest prospect being Rico Salmela, who last raced in Red Bull Rookies in 2024 and is extremely unlikely to venture into MotoGP for the next few years minimum.
We can dream of a return to Finland. It has been a surplus of 40 years since MotoGP last raced there in Imatra in 1982.
But for now, it seems unlikely, as MotoGP focuses on other new projects, such as Balaton Park in Hungary. How will that fare? We will only have to see.
Comments