Moto GP, the premier motorcycle racing event, will be held in India for the first time next year at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.
According to Pushkar Nath, Chief Operating Officer of Noida-based race promoters Fairstreet Sports, the ticket price will be “very much affordable” because the event should be accessible to everyone while maintaining its exclusivity.
Dorna Sports, which owns the commercial rights to MotoGP, has signed an agreement with Fairstreet Sports to hold the championship in India for the next seven years, he told reporters.
This is not the first time a major racing event has been held in India. From 2011 to 2013, the “Indian Grand Prix” was held exclusively at Buddh International Circuit by Formula One. However, it left the country for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it was forced to pay high taxes after the government classified it as entertainment rather than sports. The season ticket price for the Indian Grand Prix in 2012 ranged from Rs 3,000 to Rs 21,000.
When asked about the demise of Formula One due to high taxes, Nath replied: “If you see the latest updates from the government, motorcycle racing has been identified as a sporting event now. Earlier, it was not…I am thankful that it is not classified as a sporting event.”
He added that the company hasrequested the Indian government to appoint someone as a “single point of contact” to discuss any matters related to MotoGP.
Source of great pride
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a statement that hosting such a globally prestigious mega sports event is a source of great pride for the state.
“Not only will the event boost the hospitality and tourism sectors, but it will also put UP on the global platform. Our government will provide all the necessary support to make this event a huge success,” he added.
MotoGP also plans to introduce MotoE – the electric motorcycle racing event – in India but currently, the entire focus is to successfully hold “Grand Prix of Bharat”.
While talking to reporters, Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer, Dorna Sports, stated that a circuit that has been able to hold Formula One round can of course hold the Moto GP round in terms of infrastructure, safety and the circuit layout.
He said MotoGP will bring around 2,500 staff whenever the event would happen in Greater Noida.
“The impact of this in terms of hotel rooms, etc, near to the circuit is going to be significant. The (hotel and road) infrastructure is there which is not the case around many circuits in the world,” he mentioned.
Being able to hold the event close to one of the biggest cities of the world is a huge asset for us, he noted.
The dates of “Grand Prix of Bharat” have not been decided as yet.
