MotoGP, Grand Prix in Australia: no to Albert Park

On Tuesday, the State of Victoria reiterated its desire to keep the Australian Grand Prix in the MotoGP calendar at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, ruling out a possible move to the Albert Park Circuit city circuit in Melbourne. The decision was announced by the Jacinta Allan-led government at a sensitive time, as the current contract with the MotoGP promoter will expire after the scheduled race at the end of October.

The agreement with Dorna Sports, now known as MotoGP Sports Entertainment, is expiring and this had opened up the possibility of considering alternatives. Among the options being considered was bringing MotoGP to Albert Park, a city track that hosts the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and would offer a more central venue than Phillip Island.

The Victoria state government, however, officially rejected the move request, stressing the economic and symbolic importance of the event to Phillip Island. The statement recalled that the race attracts tens of thousands of fans each year, with positive spillover effects on tourism, commerce and local employment, saying, “The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix d’is synonymous with Phillip Island and Victoria is proud to support it.”

The state government has also rejected the move.

While closing to the possibility of racing in Melbourne, the executive said he was willing to invest additional resources to improve the circuit’s facilities beyond 2026, as long as the event remains at the current venue. Earlier, Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP’s sporting director, said the category would have no problem racing on street circuits as long as adequate run-off areas and safety standards were guaranteed. Albert Park, being a Formula 1 street circuit, had also been evaluated in this respect, but in the end it did not get the necessary approval.