MotoGP is here to stay in India!

Teething issues, as annoying and speculation-perpetuating as they are, are inevitable. And so was the case with the maiden MotoGP at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida.

Visa issues, concerns over heat and humidity, a minuscule margin for error on Turn 1, and a generally laidback approach in the lead-up to the biggest biking event in the world dominated the headlines. 

But twenty-four hours after the race was done, and Marco Bezzecchi had won, it has become clear that MotoGP is not shying away from going through with its seven-year promise to India. 

That tone might sound peculiar to the uninitiated, but history has not been kind to the motorsports enthusiasts in India. 

Formula One (F1) had signed a five-year deal with Jaypee Sports to conduct the Indian Grand Prix at the BIC. Only three of them were realised before F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had had enough of jumping inane hurdles. F1 packed its bags up, and the track was left to house pigeons and rust. 

Even when MotoGP commercial rights holders - Dorna Sports - and event promoter Fairstreet Sports signed the deal in 2022, there was an underlined passage somewhere in the MoU which categorically stated that the owners could pull out at any point should their needs not be met. 

Retrospecting over the last few days, it is evident that Fairstreet was not able to deliver on all the promises, but the fact that they had the blessings of the Uttar Pradesh government went a long way in getting the race out of the way. 

It was not a success in terms of logistics and such, but it was as a race because it has managed to inspire Dorna Sports, and the riders, to come back. 

“There were some nagging issues early on,” said a Dorna Sports source. “But we knew that was going to happen. We are not new to going to new markets and finding things which aren’t exactly suitable for us. But the point is that eventually, the race turned out to be a good one. The promoters eventually got their act together. 

“We’ve to be flexible when coming to a new country because the culture of racing is different everywhere. We can’t judge them by European standards. The point is we see that the Indian market is eager for us and eager to get better as a racing nation. We saw Fairsteet work day and night to get it all together. We’ll reward them for their persistence.”

That, however, does not mean Dorna Sports will take it lying should these ‘minor problems’ keep repeating themselves in the future. For now, though, everyone seems happy with how the weekend transpired on what is being spoken of as one of the toughest races on the calendar.

That, perhaps, is enough to quell questions of a bleak future for the moment.