MotoGP to return to India only in 2026, organisers confirm

The race will now be a reserve event for the 2025 season. This year’s Indian Grand Prix was cancelled because of operational considerations.

Riders compete for Moto GP race at Buddh International Circuit, in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP

The Indian Grand Prix will return to the MotoGP calendar in 2026, organisers said on Wednesday, less than two months after confirming it would be held at the Buddh International Circuit for the next three seasons.

MotoGP said in July that a new agreement was signed with the government of Uttar Pradesh, the northern state where the Buddh circuit is located.

The race will now be a reserve event for the 2025 season. This year’s Indian Grand Prix was cancelled because of operational considerations.

“Operational circumstances have obliged the event to be delayed from its initial slot near the start of the 2025 calendar,” MotoGP said in a statement.

“With no available dates towards the end of the season, MotoGP will therefore return to India in the early stages of 2026.”

The inaugural Grand Prix at Buddh in 2023 attracted more than 100,000 fans, and next year’s event was expected to take place in March when weather conditions were more suitable.