MotoGP: Indian GP all likely to be dropped from 2025 Calendar - Report

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India's hopes of hosting the MotoGP in 2025 are increasingly unlikely to materialise, according to Autosport. The local authorities are struggling to secure the necessary financial backing to organise the event, making it increasingly unlikely that India will return to the MotoGP circuit in 2025.

Given the urgency of finalising the calendar, this financial roadblock may cause India to be left out for a second consecutive year. MyKhel reported two weeks ago that the Buddh International Circuit, which hosted the Indian Grand Prix in 2023, has been closed since February 2024.

This iconic circuit, which hosted three Formula One races between 2011 and 2013, has struggled financially since its inception. However, high maintenance costs and legal complications have plagued the circuit, culminating in its sealing by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). The complications left the fate of the MotoGP race uncertain, as the venue remains under financial and legal distress.

The Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, which debuted in 2023, was conspicuously absent in the 2024 MotoGP calendar. Although it was initially scheduled for September 2024, a joint announcement from Dorna, the championship's promoter, and Fairstreet Sports, the local organiser, revealed its cancellation due to weather concerns, pushing its return to 2025.

In May 2024, MotoGP confirmed this postponement, stating, "The FIM, IRTA, and Dorna Sports announce that the Indian Grand Prix will not take place in 2024, with MotoGP postponing its return to the country to early 2025 due to operational considerations."

The promoters cited advice from the Uttar Pradesh government, ensuring optimal weather conditions for both spectators and racers in March 2025. However, as the official unveiling of the 2025 MotoGP calendar draws closer, doubts have resurfaced.

Meanwhile, other motorsports events have thrived elsewhere in India. Chennai, capitalising on the decline of the BIC, hosted a successful street circuit race less than a month ago.

As MotoGP prepares to begin its 2025 season in Thailand in March, followed by stops in Argentina and Austin, India's absence from the calendar seems imminent. With the championship returning to Europe later in the season and ending in Valencia, MotoGP fans in India will likely have to wait even longer for a return of premier two-wheeled racing.