Super bike racing comes to the country for the first time; Buddh Circuit to host eventNEW DELHI: As the countdown begins for hosting of the inaugural MotoGP championship in India, Dorna - the worldwide owner of the commercial rights for the premier motorcycling event says that India is a "natural fit" for the racing extravaganza which is likely to debut here around the same time next year.
Carlos Ezpeleta, MD of Dorna, said that it has signed a seven-year agreement with Noida-based event promoters Fairstreet Sports to kickstart the 'Grand Prix of Bharat' - as the high-decibel event will be pitched - that comes to the country after almost a decade of market research.
Incidentally, the motorcycling races - which are one of the most-watched sporting events globally after the Olympics and FIFA World Cup - would be held at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida, which also hosted the Formula 1 racing between 2011 and 2013before they had to be discontinued due to regulatory issues and tax disputes. "India is the biggest two-wheeler market in the world, and holds a strong potential for MotoGP," Ezpeleta told TOI. "It was a no-brainer to get the races here." The entry of MotoGP in India also comes at a time when two-wheeler motoring in the country is gradually upgrading from low-powered commuter motorcycles, to relatively higher-powered and sophisticated ones.
Also, some of the top companies who have teams in the MotoGP are also present in the country, and aggressively pushed the case for races here.