MotoGP is contracted to race at Phillip Island through to 2026, but beyond that there has been no clarity given by the state government nor the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
MotoGP has raced at Phillip Island for nearly three decades, with its first grand prix dating back to 1989. The event has run every year since 1997, bar 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An economic report in 2023 estimated that the event draws $54.6 million in economic benefit for the state, including $29.4 million in direct local spending within Bass Coast.
Earlier this year, reports emerged questioning the future of MotoGP at Phillip Island, due in part to its aging facilities.
The petition calls on the Victorian Government to invest in “critical infrastructure upgrades” that “will be required to secure the event’s long-term future in Victoria.”
The ‘Save our MotoGP’ petition has gathered more than 800 signatures at the time of publication.
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Bass Coast Shire mayor Rochelle Halstead wrote to Jacinta Allan, the Premier of Victoria, pleading for clarity.
“There’s possibilities of it going anywhere – it could go interstate or international, but it is absolutely critical for our region to hold onto this race,” Halstead told ABC Melbourne.
“Not only because of the economic benefit it brings to our local businesses and the atmosphere that it brings is really what is amazing for our community.
“Our community really supports this race, it gets behind it every time it’s here, and the whole atmosphere of Bass Coast and Phillip Island changes.”
The Bend Motorsport Park has made its intentions clear to poach MotoGP from Victoria to bring the grand prix to South Australia for the first time.
There is also a proposed 150-hectare site near Avalon Airport that has been touted as the future host of MotoGP, given its close proximity to Melbourne.
Progress on that project, which was earmarked for a 2026 completion, has gone quiet lately.
Phillip Island is a popular destination for MotoGP riders, though its two-hour drive from Melbourne is sometimes cited as an issue, as well as the prevalence of trackside wildlife.
“We really need the state to get involved in the conversations and really start to have those negotiations with Dorna and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation,” Halstead added.
“We really need them to move on this. It’s such a critical part of our economy.
“I’ve heard conversations about people coming from Melbourne. It’s a long way from Melbourne, but that’s part of the attraction.”
Since the last decade-long contract was signed between MotoGP and the Victorian Government, the championship was bought by Liberty Media.
Dorna Sports promotes MotoGP, and this year’s event attracted more than 90,000 spectators.
The Phillip Island circuit is owned by the Fox family of Linfox fame. The Fox family also owns and operates Avalon Airport.
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