The India round of the MotoGP championship will not not take place on the scheduled dates in September (20-22) and instead has been moved to March 2025, local promoters of the race asserted to PTI on Tuesday.
Assertions notwithstanding, it is pertinent to note that official word has still to come on the matter from MotoGP commercial rights holder Dorna Sports.
Reports claiming that the race promoters had not cleared all their dues with Dorna after the inaugural round last year had led to uncertainty over the second edition scheduled from September 20-22.
However, after Tuesday’s meeting involving all stakeholders – Dorna and MotoGP Bharat co-promoters Fairstreet Sports and Uttar Pradesh government – it was decided to shift the round to a yet to be decided date in March, the newswire was informed.
“It was mutually decided to shift the race to March next year. We are looking at first or second week of March. All the stakeholders including Dorna agreed that the September weather is not conducive for the race and it is tough on the riders and marshals as experienced last year,” Fairstreet Sports CEO Pushkar Nath Srivastava told PTI.
The immediate question that follows is this: What happens then to the Grand Prix of Qatar (held this year from 8-10 March) and / or the Grande Prémio de Portugal (held this year from 22-24 March)?
Coming back to the Grand Prix of India, when asked by PTI if the postponement of the race had anything to do with unpaid dues, Srivastava responded with an emphatic “no”.
“All payments were being made in between and whatever is left will be paid by next month. So that was not really a factor in shifting the race to next year. We also thought of doing it in November but that would have meant four back-to-back races which would have been tough on the teams and the riders,” said Srivastava.
More than 50,000 fans turned up at the Buddh International Circuit during the inaugural race, just enough to fill half of the facility.
“We also expect more fans to turn up in March as the weather will be better,” said Srivastava.
The current season began in Doha on March 10 and the organisers can slot the India round in the following week, Srivastava claimed.
Ahead of the 2023 edition, Dorna and local promoters had signed a seven year agreement to stage the race in India.
As already reported, the Uttar Pradesh government, which was a sponsor last year, has now become a co-promoter, raising hopes of a long-term future of the high-profile event.
The 2023 MotoGP round in India, won by Marco Bezzecchi, was the biggest motorsports event held in the country since the last Formula 1 race that took place in 2013. Formula 1 could only last three years in India due to financial and taxation issues.
