Written by Vyas Ponnuri, Edited by Simran Kanthi
All the motorcycle and MotoGP fans from the Indian subcontinent, gear up! The top tier of motorcycle racing is set to make its way to India for the seasons to come.
The event will be called the Bharat GP (Bharat is India in Hindi) and is expected to take place on the famous Buddh International Circuit (BIC), located in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Noida. FairStreet Sports, a sporting company based in Noida, is set to be in charge of the event. This is the first time in a decade that the track will host an event for a major racing series. The last major sporting event was Formula One's Indian Grand Prix, which took place way back in 2013.
A seven-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between FairStreet Sports and Dorna Motorsport. Dorna Motorsport owns the commercial rights for all MotoGP events worldwide. The exact date for the event hasn't been decided yet, but sources say it could be held in late 2023. It could even be in 2024, given the fact that the BIC needs to undergo homologation before being approved.
The track homologation will be conducted by FIM (Federation Internationale De Motocyclisme), the governing body for MotoGP.
Along with the main MotoGP event, the feeder series Moto2 and Moto3 will take place, too. MotoE, the electric motorcycle racing series, is also expected to take place in India in late 2022.
This event is also expected to boost tourism on the Indian subcontinent, as many Europeans are set to come down to India to watch the race. Furthermore, the race is a global sporting event and will be streamed to a plethora of countries.
The arrival of MotoGP to Indian shores is yet another shot in the arm for Indian Motorsports. This announcement has come not too long after Formula E announced its arrival to the Indian subcontinent, with the upcoming Hyderabad E Prix slated to be held on 11 February 2023.