Uttar Pradesh government signs agreement to host MotoGP in India from 2025

In a move that gives much needed impetus for motorsport in India, the Uttar Pradesh government signed an agreement with Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for the MotoGP, to guarantee an annual hosting of the MotoGP in India.

The agreement guarantees a race in India every year from the upcoming season in 2025. The race will be held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.

After the inaugural race—the MotoGP Bharat—in September 2023, the 2024 race was cancelled due to ‘operational constraints’. While the official reason given was that the slot, in late September, was difficult for logistics, including the racers and marshals. However, there was also a reason that the government and co-promoters Fairstreet Sports were not able to arrange the funds required for the race due to the elections Code of Conduct resulting in the cancellation of the race in the second year.

The second edition of the MotoGP Bharat was supposed to be held from September 20 to 22 before being cancelled. Kazakhstan chipped in to host the race during the same period.

The new agreement, signed on Friday, will keep the race in India and the dotted lines were signed between Invest UP, the state’s investment promotion agency, and Dorna Sports.

Dorna Sports is the exclusive commercial rights holder for MotoGP and has organised and manages 34 races across 19 countries, reaching over 3 billion viewers.

A high-level executive committee was also formed by the Uttar Pradesh government to oversee the entire event, from the signing to conducting the event successfully. The state’s commitment to host MotoGP aligns with the broader vision of positioning the state as a preferred destination for international events and investments. This hosting of events like MotoGP Bharat is also expected to unlock significant economic benefits and elevate Uttar Pradesh’s standing on the global stage.

The first MotoGP race, in September 2023 was won by Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi, and the race was watched by more than 50,000 fans at the Buddh International Circuit.