The MotoGP street circuit in Adelaide is causing controversy – reference is made to measurement data and calculations – safety is to be at the highest level
The move of the Australian Grand Prix from Phillip Island to Adelaide is causing quite a stir, and not just “Down Under.” For the first time, modern MotoGP will be held on a street circuit starting in 2027. The MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, as Dorna Sports is now called, assures that safety is the top priority.
Nevertheless, many are upset that Phillip Island, not only a traditional race track but also one of the most spectacular tracks on the calendar, is being dropped. Even the legends of the sport disagree with this decision.
“Why would MotoGP drop what is arguably its best track from the calendar?” writes Casey Stoner, who has won six times at Phillip Island, on Instagram. “Everyone can judge that for themselves.”
Wayne Gardner, who won his home race in 1989 and 1990, is also critical. “I just heard the news, and to be honest, I’m not surprised. It’s been coming for years,” he said in an interview with ABC Radio.
“The Victorian government has a reputation for winning projects, losing them, reviving them, and failing again—it’s a kind of roller coaster. It’s disappointing. I never thought I’d see something like this again after the initial success.”
“I’m sad and disappointed, but I’m not surprised by the games played by the Victorian government and AGP Corp,” Gardner added. “My name is everywhere there. That’s an honor, of course. You’d think they’d at least invite me to talk to the people.”
“Instead, they’re just exploiting my story and don’t want to pay for it.” When asked if he plans to remove the bust erected in his honor at the track, he responds angrily: “They can stick the statue where the sun don’t shine.”
Is Adelaide safe enough for motorcycles?
There will be one more race at Phillip Island before heading to Adelaide. The old Formula 1 track was 3.780 kilometers long and was shortened to 3.219 kilometers in 1999. The Supercars use this layout.
When the MotoGP track was presented, it was shown to be 4.195 kilometers long with 18 turns. The start-finish straight will also be moved to Fullarton Road in Victoria Park, turning turn 1 into a hairpin. Around 45 trees are to be felled as part of the work. The track layout shown continues to use part of the current pit straight, which leads into an apparently narrower version of the famous Senna chicane that connects to Wakefield Road.
The old section with turns 4 to 6, which were 90-degree turns and where the famous collision between Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill took place in 1994, will become a straight.
The track then returns to the old Formula 1 layout, including the reactivation of Banana Bend, but with an additional chicane. This is followed by the fast section with Rundle Road and Dequetteville Terrace (Brabham Straight).
In between is the fast right-hand corner where Mika Häkkinen had his serious accident in 1995. The hairpin at the end of the long straight is a 90-degree corner in the new layout, as the turning point is set earlier in the redesigned park grounds.
MotoGP Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta believes the safety of the street circuit is guaranteed: “I would say that the track is safe even without additional temporary safety measures such as air fences. That’s what our calculations show.”
“Safety is not something subjective for us. We measure everything in detail, mathematically, using tools that have been developed over the years. We are really, really happy with the final solution here. I think it’s going to be something very special.“
MotoGP rider Jack Miller is also not worried, because he thinks: ”It’s not really a street circuit. I mean, it’s a racetrack that’s been put in the middle of the city. I think the term ‘street circuit’ is a bit of a misnomer.”
Regarding the safety of the track, he adds: “There won’t be any concrete walls too close to the air fence. I have complete confidence in Carlos and his calculations. Of course, there’s always the worry of hitting a wall if the brakes fail or something else goes wrong, but that’s not really a concern in a normal crash.”
