MotoGP India 2023: Teams And Racers Stranded Without Visas

The inaugural MotoGP race is set to take place in five days’ time, and many teams are facing visa blushes.

It seems to be far from smooth sailing for the crew at the Bharat GP, as several top teams and racers have stated that their e-visas have not yet been granted. While we have come to know mostly through our sources within MotoGP teams, decorated eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez has himself stated that he is still in Spain and has not started for India due to his visa not being granted as yet. And he isn’t the only racer to suffer from this situation. There of certain other top MotoGP team racers, as well as a few in Moto2 and Moto3, who are facing similar stumbling blocks. Plus, several of the EU journalists who travel to all races are sharing similar woes.

With the Buddh International Circuit being a completely unknown identity for most teams, this added layer of confusion prior to the race will just leave a sour taste of what promises to be a fun event. While Sunday is usually when the grand spectacle is set to take place, racers and teams already get into action on Wednesday/Thursday. Media formalities, track walks and possible bike set-ups are discussed prior to the Friday practice sessions. This potential delay in the arrival of personnel is bound to cause chaos.

We have tried getting official quotes from the Indian representatives of the two-wheeler manufacturers who are key stakeholders in the championship. However, they have declined to comment on the matter.

A grand sporting event of this magnitude needs to be recognised as such by all parties involved. Having already suffered through the woes of Formula 1, we hope that the MotoGP spectacle doesn’t face a similar fate. There’s a growing number of fans of the sport in the country who would love the race to be an annual event for the foreseeable future.

And still, that isn’t the last major hurdle that the organisers have to worry about, as the bigger issue on hand is the riders giving the final all-clear on the Thursday before the race. Will this Bollywood drama of a race get its wholesome ending? We hope that it does.