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MotoGP News: Series open to racing on F1 street circuits, but it would be lethal

Andrew Maitland

(GMM) MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta says the motorcycle championship could one day race on certain Formula 1 street circuits – but Las Vegas is not one of them.

Ezpeleta attended last weekend’s Las Vegas GP, the flagship event promoted directly by Formula 1 and Liberty Media, which earlier this year acquired MotoGP’s commercial rights while keeping Ezpeleta in charge of Dorna.

“In terms of spectacle, it’s incredible what they do here,” Ezpeleta told DAZN.

When asked whether MotoGP could appear in the heart of a major city, he made clear the championship is open to the idea – with conditions.

“We have no problem racing on street circuits,” he said. “We just need sufficient run-off areas, and that’s difficult in Las Vegas.

“But there are definitely Formula 1 street circuits we could use. Safety is our top priority. Since we took charge of the championship in 1992, that’s been our promise to the riders. We don’t want to compromise on that.”

Editor’s Note: There isn’t a street circuit in the world that would be safe enough for MotoGP. The barriers (Armco or Concrete) with debris fencing on top of them would kill MotoGP riders.

Ezpeleta pointed out that MotoGP is not entirely new to urban-style venues. “Technically, Mandalika is an urban area, and that’s where we race,” he said.

The Liberty acquisition is expected to increase cooperation between F1 and MotoGP, with speculation even suggesting future joint race weekends – though Ezpeleta stressed this remains a distant possibility.

What is clear is that Liberty Media has a strong preference for high-profile street events. Jeddah, Miami, Singapore and Las Vegas have become fixtures on the F1 calendar, and MotoGP already races at five permanent F1 tracks – Qatar, Austin, Barcelona, Spielberg and Silverstone.