‘Buddh International Circuit is getting a complete overhaul for MotoGP Bharat’

India will host its first-ever MotoGP championship from September 22 to September 24 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida. Pushkar Nath Srivastava, founder and COO, Fairstreet Sports, the organisers of MotoGP Bharat, spoke to Open about the preparations that are currently on, support from the Uttar Pradesh government and the significance of holding the event in the country. “The preparations are going on a grand scale to say the least. As it is a global race there are strict guidelines and standard operating procedures which must be adhered to as there is no room for error or sub optimal approaches,” he says. About the scale of the event, he adds, “The MotoGP Bharat race is the biggest motorcycling spectacle to happen in the history of motorcycling sports in the country with over 250,000 spectators watching the race live, over the three-day event.” MotoGP, the world’s biggest, fastest, and oldest bike racing competition, will see 11 teams and 22 riders – two riders from each team – competing against each other. A total of 42 teams and 84 riders will take part in the race across MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 categories. The MotoGP race covers 24 laps of the circuit totalling 119 km. The tickets are in the range of Rs 800 to Rs 40,000. The event is expected to create an economic activity of upwards of Rs 1000 crore in Uttar Pradesh. Edited excerpts:

The Buddha International Circuit was originally built to organise F1 racing. What are the changes that needed to be made to host this event?

The fundamentals of a racing track remain the same, though FIM (the international federation for two-wheeler motorsport events) had a specific set of requirements with regards to the infrastructure and track modifications which had to be made. For instance, the banking curbs and gravel zones had to be re-laid and extended to ensure they comply to the FIM perquisites, other than that the overlaying of the bitumen and other chemical compounds to renew the track has been done by the global race technicians authorised by FIM. Overall, the track is race ready and the final touches are being carried out and a world-class tarmac is all set to experience one of the best racing events this country has ever experienced.

The MotoGP Bharat race is the biggest motorcycling spectacle to happen in the history of motorcycling sports in the country with over 250,000 spectators expected to watch the race live, over the three-day event.

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What are the preparations that are on now?

The preparations are going on a grand scale to say the least. As it is a global race there are strict guidelines and standard operating procedures which must be adhered to as there is no room for error or sub optimal approaches. To briefly share about our preparations, the Buddh International Circuit which is a global renowned name, is going through a complete overhaul with multiple international teams deployed on track and the circuit, other backend teams from various functions have also been engaged to create an experience which goes much beyond the race.

 Has homologation been done for the track (to authorise it as race worthy)? 

The homologation process is underway and will be completed soon, we will get the required certificates before the race.

How many people are expected to attend MotoGP live? Could you please share a lowdown of the plans being done as regards policing?

MotoGP Bharat race is the biggest motorcycling spectacle to happen in the history of motorcycling sports in the country with over 250,000 spectators expected to watch the race live, over the three-day event. But what makes this event an even bigger attraction is that the weekend will see unlimited excitement and engagement making BIC a sought-after destination which will see a diverse range of audience from across the country to have an experience of a lifetime with experiential fan zones, Sunburn Festival and Food Festival that are planned for the weekend. In terms of crowd management, the Uttar Pradesh Government has deployed a special task force from various departments which include local authorities, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police and Fire Department to name a few which are geared up to make this event a smooth and memorable experience.

What are the steps that you have taken to ensure a hassle-free event from a technical point of view?

The race is going to attract enthusiasts and professionals from across the country and Asia too, we are expecting certain guests from other parts of the world as well, given India as a destination of choice. In terms of technical readiness, the entire event is being managed by global and national agencies which specialise in execution of large format events which would mean proper crowd planning and engagement, shuttle services from Airport and other popular destinations. Large, dedicated areas for parking and food and beverage stalls, fan zones for engagements, proper planning for smooth movement of traffic and pedestrians. Elaborate and complex optical fibre lines for technical connectivity of the race teams and other communication networks are in place for a smooth event as well.

But what makes this event an even bigger attraction is that the weekend will see unlimited excitement and engagement making BIC a sought-after destination which will see a diverse range of audience from across the country to have an experience of a lifetime with experiential fan zones, Sunburn Festival and Food Festival that are planned for the weekend.

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What kind of specific assistance is the Uttar Pradesh government offering MotoGP?

The Uttar Pradesh government has been at the forefront of making this race happen in India. Right from the early stage wherein the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath personally met the CEO of Dorna and personally assured him that the global race would be made a reality no matter what it takes. True to his word, he has been actively involved in the progress of the preparations, be it official approvals or deployment of technical commutes to ensure that the process is smooth and seamless. The Uttar Pradesh Government has also been actively facilitating discussions, with various motor industry and sporting businesses, to bring in additional FDI into the state and to areas near BIC.

The Uttar Pradesh government has been at the forefront of making this race happen in India. Right from the early stage, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath personally met the CEO of Dorna and personally assured him that the global race would be made a reality no matter what it takes.

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How significant do you think the event is for two-wheeler makers, India being one of the world’s biggest two-wheeler markets?

The top players in the Indian two-wheeler industry have been focusing on the “lifestyle” performance segment, for example, with Hero tying up Harley Davidson, Bajaj taking up stake in KTM/Triumph. TVS with BMW and lastly Royal Enfield which has led the image transformation of the category and rekindled the romance of biking. This just reflects on the huge untapped potential the country is to offer for premium motorcycles and professional racing. All the two-wheeler brands in India are very excited about additional marketing and promotional activities now, with the world’s premier two-wheeler race event being held in India.

What is the kind of agreement that you have with Dorna Sports, the Madrid-based global MotoGP commercial rights holder? Could you disclose some details?

Fairstreet Sports, has received the promoter rights and the commercial licence in collaboration with FMSCI, to hold MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races in India for seven years from 2023 onwards.

Share with us the details of how India was chosen as one of the 20 host countries for MotoGP 2023 although we have no prior experience of doing it?

India is the world’s largest motorcycle market, with 18 million-plus bikes sold annually growing at a healthy pace of 13%. Even though the belly of the market is the lower cubic capacity (cc) segment the pace of growth for the higher cubic capacity bikes is on the rise with a currently growing percentage of 6% bikes in the >250cc segment. Interestingly the market size of premium bikes is pegged at a whopping Rs 45,000 crore which means that the mindset for premium motorcycles is growing. Secondly, India being one of the youngest countries in the world with a median age of under 35 means that motorcycling as a culture is widely accepted and projected to be a form of lifestyle for a majority as well. In short, the timing for the India GP couldn’t have been better because India is poised to transform as a motorcycling epicentre.

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