MotoGP MotoGP 2025

[Cromulant]

Interesting to see the whole "Phillip Island might lose the MotoGP" thing come up again in recent weeks.

Yes the place needs a LOT of work and its not that easy to get to for most, but realistically the only viable alternative is The Bend and as good as that place is there's just no atmosphere

An Aussie version of the Aragon GP

 

[Klyntonius]

Interesting to see the whole "Phillip Island might lose the MotoGP" thing come up again in recent weeks.

Yes the place needs a LOT of work and its not that easy to get to for most, but realistically the only viable alternative is The Bend and as good as that place is there's just no atmosphere

An Aussie version of the Aragon GP

I find The Bend to be a boring featureless track in a barren wasteland and can't see it as a genuine option.

Much more likely to lose the GP overseas to a cashed up nation, probably the middle east or another USA race - especially now the series is owned by Liberty.

 

[Cromulant]

I find The Bend to be a boring featureless track in a barren wasteland and can't see it as a genuine option.

Much more likely to lose the GP overseas to a cashed up nation, probably the middle east or another USA race - especially now the series is owned by Liberty.

Shahins have plenty of money, and MotoGP already races at a lot of featureless places. Its actually a really good track, I spoke to Jack about it a couple years back at the ASBK round and he loved it, but "its in the middle of ****ing nowhere" which it is.

The big thing for us is this is Millers last year, or likely to be, so our relevance on the world stage wont be there. Makes moving our race somewhere else more likely.

 

[norway blue]

What’s the problem with Phillip Island. Good crowds , a favourite track with most riders . Huge $ into Victoria.?

 

[Cromulant]

What’s the problem with Phillip Island. Good crowds , a favourite track with most riders . Huge $ into Victoria.?

Crowds are very average in terms of Moto GP, facilities are garbage, hard place for the teams to get to with little to no infrastructure and it costs the government more money than it makes, which will only increase now with Liberty owning it.

The track is incredible theres no doubt, but as we've seen in F1 good tracks dont always keep races.

 

[Klyntonius]

Shahins have plenty of money, and MotoGP already races at a lot of featureless places. Its actually a really good track, I spoke to Jack about it a couple years back at the ASBK round and he loved it, but "its in the middle of ****ing nowhere" which it is.

The big thing for us is this is Millers last year, or likely to be, so our relevance on the world stage wont be there. Makes moving our race somewhere else more likely.

I understand that riders like The Bend but it's still an inferior layout to Phillip Island. Really, the only thing that Tailem Bend has over the Island is facilities otherwise it really limited by all the same other shortcomings.

And as much as I love Miller, he's not a needle mover in keeping an Australian GP even if he had a cracking start to next year and signed a new MotoGP contact (or even if Agius leads Moto2 and gets an early MotoGP contract). And Liberty don't care about history so that ain't saving us and there's already another four races in Asia so that won't save us either.

Really, once council and government knocked Fox's plans for investment at Phillip Island on the head (golf course and resort) it was really the death knell for any genuine investment into the circuit facilities for a single significant annual event.

Short of Fox selling out to someone promising to pump money into the circuit then I think it loses out to the new Buenos Aires track joining the series in '27. Australia's best chance in the future is probably if the mythical Avalon circuit actually comes to fruition in the future but I won't be holding my breath on that.

 

[Cromulant]

I understand that riders like The Bend but it's still an inferior layout to Phillip Island. Really, the only thing that Tailem Bend has over the Island is facilities otherwise it really limited by all the same other shortcomings.

And as much as I love Miller, he's not a needle mover in keeping an Australian GP even if he had a cracking start to next year and signed a new MotoGP contact (or even if Agius leads Moto2 and gets an early MotoGP contract). And Liberty don't care about history so that ain't saving us and there's already another four races in Asia so that won't save us either.

Really, once council and government knocked Fox's plans for investment at Phillip Island on the head (golf course and resort) it was really the death knell for any genuine investment into the circuit facilities for a single significant annual event.

Short of Fox selling out to someone promising to pump money into the circuit then I think it loses out to the new Buenos Aires track joining the series in '27. Australia's best chance in the future is probably if the mythical Avalon circuit actually comes to fruition in the future but I won't be holding my breath on that.

Yep that's a fair assumption, though I will say the Bend is significantly closer to the Adelaide CBD than PI is to Melbourne. Camp ground is much much bigger too.

Everything else though, is absolutely correct. As much history as we have with champion motorcycle riders and PI being the track that it is, that means very little in modern motorsports and isnt really a reason to keep a race.

From a selfish POV we'd all love it to stay, but from a business perspective im not sure it stacks up without significant investment

 

[norway blue]

Thanks K and Crom for the posts.

 

[Klyntonius]

Rumour that Pedro has already signed with Ducati for '27.

Gonna be a wild, drawn out silly season.

 

[Cromulant]

Rumour that Pedro has already signed with Ducati for '27.

Gonna be a wild, drawn out silly season.

I wonder if Marc calls it quits after next year.

 

[norway blue]

I think that also. Family?

 

[Cromulant]

I think that also. Family?

I think the injuries will take their toll.

This year he proved to the world and to himself that he could still dominate like he used to.

I would not be at all surprised if he slips a bit next year, hes got nothing left to prove to anyone.

 

[norway blue]

I think the injuries will take their toll.

This year he proved to the world and to himself that he could still dominate like he used to.

I would not be at all surprised if he slips a bit next year, hes got nothing left to prove to anyone.history. History

I think Rossi had a bub.but that’s passed. Get it together Marc

 

[Cromulant]

I think Rossi had a bub.but that’s passed. Get it together Marc

Its more of a "how much more risk to i want to take" kinda thing and whether the new bikes suit him

 

[Klyntonius]

I wonder if Marc calls it quits after next year.

I doubt it. There's already talk of him returning to Honda.

I think the injuries will take their toll.

This year he proved to the world and to himself that he could still dominate like he used to.

I would not be at all surprised if he slips a bit next year, hes got nothing left to prove to anyone.

I can get that though to be fair, after the season he just had, there is only one way for him to go!

For sure I expect the chasing pack to catch him somewhat next year but he has so much in hand that he should still comfortably account for them all. I think we can all be a bit guilty of underestimating his drive and what makes him tick. He's a ruthless, cold-blooded killer like Rossi was and I think he's absolutely determined to obliterate VR's records. So I wouldn't expect him to retire any time soon. Regular champagne eases the physical aches!

 

[Klyntonius]

Good news

 

[Klyntonius]

Looks like 600s are the training bikes of choice. Equal parts entertaining and depressing!!