With India set to host its inaugural MotoGP race, ‘MotoGP Bharat’, the preparation works are in full swing ahead of the first-ever top-class motorcycle race.
The country is one of the biggest two-wheeler markets and the organisers, Dorna Sports, have pegged the country as a critical market for the championship.
“For us breaking into India, which is a whole continent in itself, is very important. It’s the biggest two-wheeler market in the world and very important for us, our stakeholders and the manufacturers,” said Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief sporting officer of Dorna Sports, in an interaction with Sportstar.
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“It’s a huge opportunity and has a huge potential for both the sport and the motorcycle industry, and we sort of represent both. It involves a long-term investment to break into the Indian market, but we have a sport that I think is well suited for India,” he added.
While getting the race is one thing, long-term success will depend on developing local talent to sustain interest, and it is something Ezpleta said the team at Dorna will look into seriously.
“There’s no other supporting property that invests as much as Dorna does in developing young riders to grow into the future stars of MotoGP. India will definitely be our next biggest target because that would be the best way to grow the fan base and the audience in the country. There are some promising talents in the pipeline.”
“We already have the Mini GP project that feeds into the Asia Talent Cup and then into the Junior GP. So there’s quite a marked path, and the stepping stones are clear, but we need to deepen into the Indian market for young riders,” he added.
Fairstreet Sports are the promoters of the race, and the presence of Buddh International Circuit, an FIM-homologated track, ensured the race was put together in about 18 months.
The BIC hosted three Formula One Indian Grand Prix (2011-13) and was built for car and bike racing. With the MotoGP bikes evolving since the track’s homologation, some changes are being made at the circuit to keep up with new safety standards.
“Minor works like paintings, curbs and run-offs are being worked on. There is also some surface work on the back straight being done apart from some minor modifications to turn three, but we are confident the work will be done in time,” said Ezpeleta.
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