Brazil is set to welcome MotoGP back – extensive renovations in Goiania are underway under considerable time pressure – but the FIM remains confident
MotoGP will return to Brazil in 2026. The Autodromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiania is on the calendar from March 20 to 22. The Motorcycle World Championship already made a guest appearance there from 1987 to 1989. Brazil was last visited in 2004, when the race was held in Jacarepagua in Rio de Janeiro.
The modernization of the track in Goiania is still in full swing. The schedule leading up to the comeback in March is said to be “tight,” but the staging of the race at that time is “not in jeopardy.”
The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) and MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports have issued guidelines on how the track must be modernized for safety reasons and for organizational purposes. The work is said to have been slightly delayed.
Paul Duprac, sporting director of the FIM Circuit Commission, is quoted by GrandePremio.com.br as saying: “The schedule is indeed very tight, and the work teams on site are working tirelessly to get everything done on time.”
“We have a FIM representative who is monitoring the progress of the work very closely. We receive weekly videos and photos that keep us informed about the status of the work. The latest video showed us that the first layers of asphalt have already been laid.“
”The access roads have been prepared and a large part of the barriers have already been installed.” According to Duprac, curbs, air fences, and other safety devices have already been ordered from various manufacturers.
Nevertheless, the FIM representative emphasizes: “Yes, the schedule is very tight, but at the moment there is no cause for concern.” The Grand Prix weekend, the second of the 2026 season, is therefore set to go ahead as planned.
Some areas in the paddock also need to be modified. According to the report by GrandePremio.com.br, privacy screens will be installed in the medical center area to ensure greater privacy. The garage doors of the pits also had to be widened. This work is already underway. In total, the government of the state of Goias is set to invest around 55 million reais (equivalent to around 8.5 million euros) in modernizing the track.
In the statistics for the Motorcycle World Championship, the Brazilian Grand Prix and the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix are listed separately. In Goiania, the winners from 1987 to 1989 were Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson, and Kevin Schwantz.
In 1992, the Brazilian Grand Prix was held once at Interlagos. Wayne Rainey won that race. The Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix took place from 1995 to 2004, with the exception of 1998. With six wins across all classes, Valentino Rossi is the most successful rider in Rio.
