Phillip Island’s race “unsafe” says MotoGP supremo

ULTIMATELY, it was safety, principally the impact of the weather on Phillip Island’s universally loved motorcycle grand prix track, that ended the love affair with the Island.

But now they are moving to the first-ever street circuit for MotoGP… so go figure.

Speaking to the assembled media in Madrid last Wednesday, March 4, with an update about the postponement of the Qatar GP following the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna) CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta also addressed the changes in Australia.

His comments were reported by Spanish sports daily, Diario AS (as.com) and widely in the motor racing media.

“We are going to a fantastic place, in the middle of a city, but with all safety features. With all the positives of being in the middle of a city, so that people come,” said Ezpeleta of Adelaide, while lamenting the loss of a circuit so beloved by riders and fans alike, such as Phillip Island.

“I hope I don't have the troubles with the wind and rain anymore. It's easy to say now that Phillip Island is a very beautiful circuit, which it is, but safety comes above all,” he said, going on to say that “Suzuka is beautiful too, but since it is not safe, we don't go. Safety comes first.

“MotoGP is on the path to holding better and better races, urban or non-urban and we will increasingly try to hold them closer to the cities.”

And other changes are afoot with Spain also likely to lose one of its four MotoGP fixtures in favour of a street circuit elsewhere in the world.

Weather was often an issue at Phillip Island while the race was run in October, despite pleas from many to change the date.

But it has given the owners of the event the out they were looking for to move the race to a big city street circuit and if not Albert Park in Melbourne, then Adelaide.

It is yet to be seen whether “safety comes first”, as preached by Ezpeleta, or whether the holy dollar reigned supreme, as many suspect, in moving the spectacular Australian round of the MotoGP away from its spiritual home at Phillip Island.