“Window of opportunity” opened for MotoGP by controversial Adelaide race

MotoGP has opened a “huge window of opportunity” by moving its Australian Grand Prix to Adelaide, says Carlos Ezpeleta.

The move of the Australian Grand Prix from the historic Phillip Island circuit to the city layout at Adelaide was announced by MotoGP at the start of this year and drew mixed reactions.

Former world champion Casey Stoner, who won six times in a row at Phillip Island during his career, has been one particularly vocal critic of the move, partly because of the quality of the layout at Phillip Island and also because of the difficulty involved in making a city circuit safe enough for MotoGP.

But the point of the move is to bring MotoGP closer to populated areas to make it easier for people to attend by making it closer to hotels and restaurants, perhaps even accessible by public transport. 

The idea being that if the race is easier to attend, more people will attend, some of those people will be new fans, and therefore the championship’s audience – and, theoretically, therefore its revenue – will grow.

A knock-on effect of the Adelaide race is also that more cities might become interested in hosting a MotoGP race, and MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta says many cities have been in touch with MotoGP about hosting a race since Adelaide was announced.

“There are thousands of cities, so I can't speak for them all, but yes, we've been contacted by cities from all over the world,” Ezpeleta said in an interview with Motorsport.com.

“The Adelaide project opens up a huge window of opportunity for other cities globally. There's anticipation; they want to see how the event develops in Adelaide, but conversations are already underway. 

“Sometimes, when people don't know the details and intricacies of the sport, they read the title and think they can put a circuit in any city, and that's not the case – it takes a lot of space. 

“But, yes, there's huge interest.”

More events in cities means more races to be held. But at 22 races MotoGP is at the upper limit of what is logistically possible, so Ezpeleta adds that, to bring new races to the schedule, existing European grands prix will have to make way.

“The reality is that we have 22 events,” Ezpeleta said.

“As new ones enter, others will probably have to leave. 

“I think the immediate goal will be to figure out how to balance it. We are overrepresented in Spain and central Europe, so this decision is quite obvious. 

“New destinations will enter, and there will be some that will have to leave simply because we have too much concentration in that area. 

“As we move forward and have 22 magnificent events – each with its own personality, functioning as a sort of mini Super Bowl and with tickets sold out, which is our vision – the value they will create for us will be crucial. 

“We make no secret of the fact that we want to have a greater global presence, be closer to the big cities and main airports where we can reach new audiences, and rely on a good hotel and hospitality infrastructure. 

“It's about making things easier for the fans: when they are on the track, we must offer them not only the best racing in the world, which we already have, but also the best possible experience. 

“We'll see more events like this added to the calendar. 

“We also have the desire and investment to work with existing promoters and established circuits to ensure they, too, improve the fan experience. The key is how to enhance existing events while incorporating new ones.”