Marco Bezzecchi
Phillip Island is at serious risk of dropping off the MotoGP calendar as Dorna considers alternatives for the Australian Grand Prix.
The circuit has been a staple of the MotoGP calendar since it returned full-time in 1997. Phillip Island is hugely popular among fans and riders alike, but 2026 could be the site of its last race.
You’re in charge of MotoGP, what is the one track that you’d immediately add to the calendar?
Dorna extended the contract of the Australian Grand Prix until this year, having been set to expire in 2025. But if the deal is to be extended again, it is understood that MotoGP’s bosses want the event to be held elsewhere.
Dorna have proposed the idea of racing on F1 street circuits following Liberty Media’s acquisition of the company and the sport. The Australian GP is one race that is being looked at to host an event at one of these circuits.
Dorna have been in ‘secret’ negotiations to have the Australian Grand Prix at a street circuit in Adelaide
Albert Park is a track that Dorna are considering to host a MotoGP race in the future. Now, according to a report from The Age, the governing body have ‘demanded’ that the Australian GP be hosted at the F1 circuit if its contract is extended.
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation have been in ‘tense negotiations’ for months over the future of Phillip Island in MotoGP. It is understood that the Victorian government has ‘upped its financial offer’ to keep the iconic circuit on the calendar.
The authorities are also ‘baulking’ at the ‘substantial upgrades required’ to host the race at Albert Park. The track would need to have more run-off areas in the name of rider safety on a street circuit.
The situation has even led the South Australian government to hold ‘secret’ discussions with Dorna over a potential race at a street circuit in Adelaide. The negotiations are ‘confidential’, but the main priority remains to stay at Phillip Island.
READ MORE: Dorna once stopped KTM from pairing Marc Marquez with Pedro Acosta in blockbuster line-up
Adelaide hosted Formula 1 races from 1985 to 1995
The Adelaide street circuit is more well-known for its Formula 1 races between 1985 and 1995.
It was a popular race for fans and drivers, particularly for legendary driver Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian won the Adelaide GP twice in 1991 and 1993, the second of those wins being his last in F1.
If MotoGP were to make a street circuit, Dorna and Liberty know full well that appropriate measures need to be taken. The track must be safe for the riders, as hitting a wall with no run-off areas is a recipe for disaster.
MotoGP fans say they are ‘out’ if Liberty introduce street circuits to the calendar. It would appear that Phillip Island’s exit from MotoGP would not be a popular one.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
