MotoGP boss promises Adelaide first look in “next few weeks”

MotoGP is set to give its first look at the new Adelaide circuit in the coming weeks, Carmelo Ezpeleta says.

The Adelaide circuit is set to be the new home of the Australian Grand Prix from 2027, replacing Phillip Island which has hosted the race continuously since 1997, with the exception of the Covid-affected 2020 and 2021 seasons.

When the deal was announced, an early rendering of the circuit was given, but this was not the final layout. This has still not been publicly shared, but MotoGP Group CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta says a first rendered look at the circuit will be available soon.

“For the debut of Adelaide GP, we look forward to unveiling the first visual renderings of the new Adelaide circuit over the next few weeks,” said Ezpeleta, speaking in a call with Wall Street investors ahead of the British Grand Prix.

The Adelaide race is a part of MotoGP’s drive to bring the championship to city centres, which was also the case with the public screening of the Dutch Grand Prix in London at the end of June, which attracted 20,000 people, according to Ezepeleta.

“We also recently hosted a watch party for the Dutch Grand Prix at the Outernet in London, drawing over 20,000 visitors,” he said.

“As we broaden our reach, we see attractive opportunities to engage fans in creative, immersive experience in key markets around the world. 

“We remain focused on extending MotoGP’s global footprint and are encouraged by the momentum across our digital and social footprints. 

“We ended the quarter with 63 million social media followers, a 3 per cent increase year-over-year, with particularly a strong performance on TikTok, where engagement increases over 80 per cent.”

Ezpeleta also spoke about the new commercial agreement signed with the teams and manufacturers to cover the next five years until the end of 2031.

The MotoGP CEO says the deal is allowing the series to work with the teams and factories to “optimise cost” as well as maintain its “competitive integrity”.

“Consistent with our history, we have successfully signed the manufacturers and teams agreement for the next five years,” he said.

“This renewal provides the necessary foundation to grow our sport collectively. The most important outcome from this agreement is the strong alignment across all parties on a shared vision, which is to evolve our sport while maintaining its unique heritage. 

“Under the new agreement, we are collaborating on ways to optimize cost while preserving the competitive integrity of the sport, allowing teams and riders to reinvest back into their commercial efforts as we work collectively to realize our reach. 

“We will increase our investment into the sport with shared responsibility across manufacturers and teams to help drive the long-term commercial success of MotoGP, creating a strong platform to continue innovation and performance, and reinforcing MotoGP as a premium global sport.”