Bharat GP Returns To India In 2025; 3 Year Contract Signed

MotoGP fans in India were mightily disappointed when news broke out that the 2024 edition of the Bharat GP has been cancelled. While the official reasoning for the race being cancelled was “operational constraints” and that racers encountered extreme heat during last year’s round. However, that’s just half of the whole truth. The main reason for it was the non-payment of dues to Dorna Sports (the commercial rights holder for MotoGP) for the previous edition and the fact that the government couldn’t arrange the necessary funds required to host the 2024 MotoGP race. Now, a new agreement has been signed between the Uttar Pradesh government and Dorna to bring back MotoGP to our country starting 2025. A three-year contract has been signed which can be extended to five years. 

This was confirmed by Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary-cum-Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner, Government of UP. He said, "Bringing MotoGP to Uttar Pradesh not only elevates our state on the global sports stage but also catalyses substantial economic growth across tourism, hospitality, and associated sectors. This event will magnetise visitors worldwide, spotlighting Uttar Pradesh's prowess in hosting world class sporting extravaganzas." 

An email sent by Acko Drive to Invest UP and Dorna for more details about the 2025 Bharat GP race has not been answered yet. We will update the story if there are any answers to our questions. 

Money Matters

We all know that motorsports is amongst the most expensive sports globally and when it comes to top-class events such as MotoGP or F1, the costs hit the roof. According to government officials, the cost of organising the 2025 MotoGP would be around ₹150 crore, the UP government will bear 53 % (₹80 crore) of this cost via Invest UP (government-backed agency to promote investments in the state). The rest of the cost will be generated via sponsorship from the 200 odd companies that have already invested in the state. The 2023 Bharat GP title sponsor was Indian Oil, whether this partnership carries forward into 2025 remains to be seen. Additional funds, if required, will be sourced through the government funds. With the main task of funding being resolved by the government, the possibility of MotoGP becoming a permanent fixture in India is very high. 

Why Is The UP Government Spending So Much? 

₹ 150 crore for a motorsport event and that too in India will raise many questions about it being financially viable. On a financial note, investing so much on a MotoGP race doesn’t make much sense, but then again the UP government has different plans. The Bharat GP is being handled by Invest UP and the whole focus of the event is to promote Uttar Pradesh as a destination for investment among national and foreign investors. So, in simpler words, Bharat GP is a marketing exercise for the state. Hence the sports ministry isn’t directly involved in hosting the MotoGP race, as is the case in many other countries.

For the 2024 race, Invest UP had contributed only ₹ 18.5 crore, but the cost for next year is almost eight times more. The main reason for this is the additional details in the new contract. Invest UP will hold the advertising rights for the race in India. Invest UP has also secured advertising rights in five other events - US, Spain, Japan, Netherlands and Australia. According to officials, the plan is to promote UP as a tourism destination in the above-mentioned countries and there will be business conclaves held for investment in the state on the sidelines of the race. The 2025 Bharat GP could be the season opener race, which has been hosted by Qatar over the past many years and an extra fee has to be paid to Dorna for hosting the first race of the season. 

The other benefit for Uttar Pradesh is that Bharat GP will give a huge boost to tourism in the state from not only fellow Indians but tourists from neighbouring countries as well. At the 2023 MotoGP race we saw fans from Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka attending the race. In the past Malaysia and Thailand have promoted MotoGP as a catalyst for tourists to visit their nations and Thailand also waived visa fees for many nationalities. 

New Promoter

The UP government officials also mentioned that a global tender will be issued for a new promoter for the Bharat GP and the new promoter will be announced by September, 2024. The 2023 edition of the race was promoted by Fairstreet Sports and the company had faced lots of criticisms from the fans for organisational issues and by Dorna for helding up payments. Having said that, Fairstreet Sports is still in the running for the new promoter tender. 

To ensure everything runs smoothly, a  special organising committee will also be formed with representatives from industrial development authorities and local administration, chief sporting officer of Dorna Sports and few noted investors in the state will also be its members. 

How Can Bharat GP Be Better

The inaugural Bharat GP had its fair share of controversies and speculations were rife till the very week of the race whether the race will be conducted or cancelled! The first issue was visa for the racers and their crew, in fact, 8-time champion Marc Marquez was only able to land in India on Friday, the day of the free practice. The above issues can be handled better if the organisers can confirm the dates of the race well in advance so there is ample time to process the visas.

Then there was the issue of the tarmac itself. BIC (Buddh International Circuit), where even AckoDrive holds its jury meet, was designed as an F1 track and FIM officials had suggested few modifications to make the track safer for the riders. These modifications were delayed and tarmac work on the track continued until the race week arrived, making matters worse for the organisers. 2025, however, will see homologation work getting completed 90 days prior to the race according to officials. 

The final bit was the most disappointing and that was the manner in which the fans were treated at the track. There were hardly any canopies in most of the stands and the spectators had to sit under the scorching sun and they weren’t even allowed to carry umbrellas for ‘safety reasons’. To make matters worse, it poured heavily before the race and it was disheartening to see so many fans get drenched, emptying the stands and running for cover. 

There were also no water dispensers at the stands and spectators had to pay extra to get bottled water. Promotion for the event was weak and only 50,000 fans turned up for the race, which is half the capacity of the track. Another teething issue was confusion among the organisers and fans as they had to struggle to get inside the track. We hope the new promoters are able to work on the above issues and make Bharat GP a memorable viewing experience for everyone who turns up as any sport’s existence is dependent on its followers. 

Hoping For The Best

The news of MotoGP coming back to India is a big boost for motorsports and racing enthusiasts. With the government whole-heartedly participating as an organiser, we hope the next Bharat GP race will be bigger and better. Despite all the challenges faced by racers, fans and even organisers, last year’s race was an enthralling one and MotoGP gained a lot of new audience in our country. The best part for me was how happy the racers were after riding at BIC, as most considered it the most technical track on the calendar and they were very impressed by the facilities at the track.

For majority racers, it was their first visit to India and they were taken aback by the sheer number of two-wheelers on our roads and wondered why despite being such a populous nation, we still didn’t produce a single world-class racer. With MotoGP returning and motorsports getting a much needed encouragement, maybe a decade down the line we can see an Indian racer on the grid of Bharat GP, now that will be a spectacle for all the fans!