Marco Bezzecchi
Neil Hodgson believes that MotoGP has returned to Goiania ‘six months too early’ after the opening day of Practice.
This weekend marks the return of the Brazilian Grand Prix to the MotoGP calendar as the championship returns to the country for the first time since 2004.
The Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna (Goiânia) was chosen as the circuit to host the Brazilian Grand Prix, but in the build up to the event there had been issues with drainage.
March is the end of the rainy season in Brazil, which has caused issues at the circuit with downpours occurring in the week leading up to the Grand Prix, and during Friday Practice.
However, another issue that was discussed during the opening day of Practice was how the paddock at Goiania did not seem ready to host a Grand Prix.
What’s your podium prediction for the Brazilian Grand Prix?
Neil Hodgson believes MotoGP returned to Goiania ‘six months too early’
During the MotoGP Practice coverage on TNT Sports, Gavin Emmett and Neil Hodgson discussed the return to Goiania for the 2026 season.
However, Hodgson stated that he believes MotoGP has returned to the circuit ‘six months too early’ as the facilities at the circuit feel ‘cobbled together’.
Emmett said, “We love the track, we love the layout, we love Goiania, we love coming to Brazil, but the environment around the track is unfinished.”
Hodgson said, “You feel like we have arrived here six months too early, that is what it feels like. They are rushing now to cobble together, and make it look a bit better, and it is a shame.
“We walked into the paddock yesterday and they were building the toilets.”
Johann Zarco leads the timed practice in Brazil
And look at Toprak Razgatlioglu in P3!
Johann Zarco topped a rain-affected Friday afternoon Practice
As previously mentioned Friday at the Brazilian Grand Prix was affected by rain during the morning and afternoon Practice sessions.
In the afternoon session that decided who would automatically progress to Q2 on Saturday, there were 20 minutes of dry track time at the start of the session.
During this time, the LCR Honda rider, Johann Zarco, set the fastest time, which remained until the end of the session due to the rain that began to fall.
Behind Zarco was the reigning MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez, and in third place was the MotoGP rookie, Toprak Razgatlioglu.
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