For some time there had been warnings of the possibility that the Australian GP disappeared from the annual MotoGP calendar. A situation caused by two main reasons:
- The contract with the organization of the Motorcycle World Championship expires this season in 2026
- On the other hand, the new owner of MotoGP insisted on relocating the event within the same urban circuit where Formula 1 is held in Albert Park, Melbourne.
Now, local media confirm the worst: “Government sources have confirmed that this year’s race will be the last to be held at Phillip Island, where MotoGP has been held annually since 1997.” In this way, the annual World Cup calendar loses one of the most iconic events of the year. Various factors come together to make the Australian GP one of the most colorful and exciting of the year.
The Australian GP will not be held on a street circuit
In the last few hours, several European media were considering the possibility that the Australian MotoGP GP would end up being held at the Albert Park urban track, where the Melbourne F1 GP is currently being held. However, the Victorian government has denied this possibility: “Today, the Allan Labor government ruled out Dorna Sports’ request to move the event from Phillip Island to Albert Park.”
Parallel to the confirmation of the disappearance of the Australian GP from the 2027 MotoGP calendar, other parts of the country with the possibility of hosting an event of this magnitude have offered themselves as candidates to hold the race. While there is no confirmation that these negotiations are taking place at this time, there is a possibility of moving the race weekend to The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, or Sydney Motorsport Park in New South Wales.
The loss of the Australian GP will have a strong economic impact on Victoria, as revealed in an economic report processed by the global services firm Ernst & Young. The document dated 2023 “revealed that MotoGP generated $54.6 million in economic benefits for Victoria, including $29.4 million in direct local spending”according to AMCN colleagues.
Having said all this and focusing on the aspirations of MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, it is not yet very clear that they will achieve their goal of including urban circuits in the future calendar of the event. Taking into account the complaints from teams and drivers regarding the safety and condition of some of the circuits where the world championship is held, is it truly feasible to try to copy the F1 sports model with the integration of urban circuits? Hardly.
