There was a cloud of uncertainty looming over MotoGP Bharat when it was scrapped from the calendar this year. However, motorsport fans in India will be breathing a sigh of relief after reading the latest development. Dorna Sports, the official commercial rights holder of MotoGP, has signed a fresh deal with the Uttar Pradesh state government.
The agreement confirms that the Indian Grand Prix will be on the calendar from 2025 to 2027 inclusive. The event will continue to be held at Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida, where the first MotoGP Bharat was conducted in September 2023. The 2024 MotoGP Bharat was cancelled due to “operational considerations”.
MotoGP Bharat: Change in itinerary
While rumours of non-payment by Noida-based promoter Fairstreet Sports were cast as the major reasons for scrapping the Bharat Grand Prix from the MotoGP 2024 calendar, the official reason stated was the unfavourable weather in Delhi NCR which caused a lot of discomfort in the first edition. Hence, as per the new agreement, from 2025 onwards, MotoGP Bharat will be held in March, which means at the start of the racing season.
“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,” Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP promoter Dorna said in a statement.
Interestingly, the new agreement makes no mention of Fairstreet Sports as the local organiser as it remains to be seen if the UP government will hire a new promoter. Despite several challenges, the inaugural edition of the Grand Prix of Bharat was deemed as a grand success “which brought an enormous amount of value to both MotoGP and our host region of UP”. The inaugural Indian Grand Prix at Buddh saw more than 100,000 fans witness the biggest motorsport spectacle in the country.
