New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\nLeaving Phillip Island, one of the world\u2019s greatest circuits, is immediately polarising.<\/p>\n
But that it\u2019s been replaced by an inner-city street track is totally revolutionary.<\/p>\n
In one move Adelaide has become the prototype of MotoGP\u2019s new era.<\/p>\n
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT<\/p>\n
Motorsport fans with long memories will undoubtedly see this in the context of the age-old Victoria-South Australia sporting rivalry, and that\u2019s certainly part of the story.<\/p>\n
The biggest blow dealt in that feud was the Melbourne pinching the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix from Adelaide in 1996. Adelaide had been a popular home for F1, but the race was run effectively on a friendly agreement between Bernie Ecclestone, the sport\u2019s CEO, and Premier John Bannon. When Bannon resigned, Victoria stepped in to take the race.<\/p>\n
The deal was done in secret, and the announcement of the switch was a body blow to the South Australian motorsport psyche.<\/p>\n
Today, 30 years later, SA gets one back on its east-coast rival.<\/p>\n
MotoGP may be lower profile than Formula 1, but the status of Phillip Island as one of the world\u2019s greatest motorcycling circuits means this one stings.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s doubly the case given Adelaide now has the chance to host MotoGP\u2019s first ever street race, guaranteeing an indelible place in history.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeedling Victoria isn\u2019t on the radar,\u201d SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done a fair bit of Victorian media over the last couple of years over Gather Round and LIV and everything else. I\u2019m always at pains when I\u2019m talking to the media to make clear we have nothing against Victoria \u2014 in fact we love Victorians because they have helped make these events a success when they travel here.\u201d<\/p>\n
South Australia had to fight hard to secure the contract. Despite protestations to the contrary, the interstate victory will have been a powerful motivating factor. For the Victorian government the defeat must be doubly disappointing early in an election year.<\/p>\n
But this was about more than just pull factors. The race was also being pushed away from Victoria \u2014 not by the state but by the sport itself.<\/p>\n
This is the first big move of the Liberty Media era.<\/p>\n
What happens next?<\/p>\n
Fortunately, we have guide from the last motorsport category Liberty Media bought out.<\/p>\n
Damon hill winning 1995 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Adelaide.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
FORMULA 1 GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH<\/p>\n
It was just over nine years ago that Liberty Media completed its acquisition of Formula 1.<\/p>\n
F1 was labouring at the time of the buyout. Though it commanded a considerable worldwide audience, engagement levels were low thanks equally to on-track Mercedes domination and a totally dry well of ideas from the sport\u2019s headquarters, where CEO Bernie Ecclestone presided over a regime that was sceptical about the potential of the internet.<\/p>\n
Liberty, its eyes filled with low-hanging fruit, pounced on the chance to turn the sport\u2019s fortunes around.<\/p>\n
Anyone who argues the business hasn\u2019t succeeded in that mission has their eyes painted on.<\/p>\n
Formula 1 has never been more popular, never been more culturally relevant and never been more competitive.<\/p>\n
Myriad changes instituted in the almost decade since the takeover have contributed to the sport\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
Many are quick to point to smash-hit docudrama series Drive to Survive, which became the template for the now ubiquitous sporting television genre.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to forget that in the show\u2019s first season both Mercedes and Ferrari opted not to participate, not believing there to be value in the product. They changed their minds by the second season.<\/p>\n
The series opened the sport to the world, immediately lowering the bar for entry to new audiences.<\/p>\n
Those new audiences were converted into committed fans by a better standard of races, particularly on this side of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Formula 1 grands prix today are more than just motor races. Promoters are expected to host three- or four-day festivals, with off-track entertainment complementing the on-track spectacle.<\/p>\n
The F1 Australian Grand Prix has long been a leader in this space and today is one of the best-attended races of the year.<\/p>\n
The relationship with the sport continued online, where Liberty opened F1\u2019s first social media accounts, as just one example, taking the reins.<\/p>\n
Changes weren\u2019t limited to the off-track realm.<\/p>\n
From the sporting perspective, Liberty drove two key and crucial changes: the cost cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions.<\/p>\n
The former prevented teams from spending themselves into oblivion. The latter is an equalisation measure that gives teams more wind tunnel time the further down they finish in the championship.<\/p>\n
Four F1 teams collapsed in the five years before Liberty took over the sport. One new team, Cadillac, has been added since the takeover.<\/p>\n
The formula, in other words, has worked.<\/p>\n
That same formula is now being applied to MotoGP.<\/p>\n
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is a statement Formula 1 event (Photo by CLIVE MASON \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)Source: AFP<\/p>\n
PHILLIP ISLAND WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOUGH SELL<\/p>\n
Consider, now, where Phillip Island sits within the Liberty model.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s around two hours from Melbourne, the nearest population centre.<\/p>\n
Accommodation and other fan infrastructure is limited given the Island\u2019s geography.<\/p>\n
The circuit facilities themselves have been dated for decades \u2014 there\u2019s only one block of outdoor toilets servicing the entire paddock.<\/p>\n
None of that screams new fans and growth.<\/p>\n
That said, Phillip Island is an iconic circuit adored by riders and hardcore fans. Even if Adelaide is a great success, Phillip Island\u2019s absence will always be a loss.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s interesting to consider that Formula 1 has attempted to retain historic races in similar situations, even if compromises have been required.<\/p>\n
The Belgian Grand Prix, for example, has been retained with an alternating contract, spreading the circuit\u2019s costs over two years per race.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s despite the track having been coaxed into spending big on F1-required upgrades in recent years.<\/p>\n
Phillip Island is unusual in that the promoter is the Victorian government but the circuit owner is Linfox, which is paid a hire fee by the state during the race weekend.<\/p>\n
There have been disputes over the cost of upgrades between Linfox and the government in the past.<\/p>\n
The state, for what it\u2019s worth, said earlier this week that it was willing to meet MotoGP\u2019s demands for Phillip Island.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard not to think the standoff serves a secondary purpose for MotoGP too.<\/p>\n
By walking away from one of its most revered tracks, it\u2019s effectively put the rest of the calendar on notice. If it is willing to ditch Phillip Island, the similarly well-regarded Mugello, for example, won\u2019t feel safe leaning on its status at its next contract negotiation. That\u2019s especially true if Adelaide proves street circuits can be safe \u2014 Mugello will find it more difficult to push back against requests for safety-related changes given its combination of high speed and, in some cases, close walls. <\/p>\n
Phillip Island Circuit is scenic but remote.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
NEW TRACKS, NEW AUDIENCES<\/p>\n
The choice of the historic Adelaide street track is the fascinating secondary element of this decision.<\/p>\n
Critics of Formula 1 will be quick to suggest Formula 1 has developed an infatuation with street circuits.<\/p>\n
In 2016, the last year before Liberty took over, the season featured six street or street-style tracks, making up around 29 per cent of the 21-race calendar.<\/p>\n
This year, 10 seasons later, that number has been upped to nine of 24, or 38 per cent.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an increase but not an explosion.<\/p>\n
But an increase from zero to one is an immense step.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s especially the case given the safety implications that come with what you might imagine as the typical street track \u2014 that is, close walls and little run-off, the antithesis of a regular motorcycle grand prix circuit.<\/p>\n
MotoGP has been flirting with the idea of a street race since Liberty came on the scene, but it\u2019s surprising such a significant step has been taken so soon.<\/p>\n
For the sport the appeal is clear. A MotoGP race will take place in the middle of a major population centre \u2014 the race goes to the people \u2014 and in South Australia the sport knows it has a solid promotional partner that will put on a dependably strong spectacle.<\/p>\n
Tracks like Phillip Island might be favourites among the riders, but venues like Adelaide will be a boon for fans, particularly those who want a low-commitment chance to dip a toe in the water for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re incredibly excited to showcase a new style of racing here and to create a true celebration of our sport that brings fans even closer to the action,\u201d MotoGP chief sporting officer Carlos Ezpeleta said. \u201cThis partnership represents bold ambition from both MotoGP and Australia, and we couldn\u2019t be prouder to begin this journey together.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is far more important to MotoGP than it was to Formula 1.<\/p>\n
The two sports started their time under Liberty ownership in different places.<\/p>\n
F1 had a large core following that could be tapped into for the sport\u2019s various publicity-boosting initiatives, like Drive to Survive. The successful ones snowballed on their own.<\/p>\n
The biggest required changes were to the health of the competition \u2014 shoring up the small teams and making progress towards levelling the playing field.<\/p>\n
MotoGP is in the opposite situation. The on-track product is extremely healthy, with a variety of winners and podium-getters every season.<\/p>\n
But the audience starts from a smaller base.<\/p>\n
This is the significance of Adelaide. If the race can be made a success, it will be an immediate boost to the sport\u2019s relevance, and it will surely become a template applied to other markets struggling for traction \u2014 or markets as yet untapped.<\/p>\n
The United States, for example, beckons. The US has only one race for its 348 million people, and the more than a billion inhabitants of the Americas currently make do with just two grands prix. That\u2019s significant untapped potential.<\/p>\n
Their story might start with Adelaide in 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last July the American business Liberty Media completed its takeover of MotoGP, the premier class of the motorcycle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":489262,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[247259,2620,2095,236232,1724,64,247272,63,689,247248,247262,2061,247273,247249,247254,247261,149555,36626,6907,247247,247253,2057,817,247266,247265,813,816,2105,841,73243,14211,247276,247270,247277,247268,247246,2328,247274,2623,41544,247257,16268,193796,247258,247278,174975,247267,2627,2041,2067,677,247271,247281,247260,247263,16260,21786,247269,247250,247255,82524,1124,3595,247252,85,247264,171754,245547,247251,247280,247275,247256,2614,247279,12000],"class_list":{"0":"post-489261","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-formula-1","8":"tag-aerodynamic-testing-restrictions","9":"tag-agence-france-presse","10":"tag-america","11":"tag-american-business","12":"tag-asia","13":"tag-au","14":"tag-audience-starts","15":"tag-australia","16":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","17":"tag-australian-home","18":"tag-australian-motorsport-psyche","19":"tag-bernie-ecclestone","20":"tag-body-blow","21":"tag-circuit-facilities","22":"tag-circuit-owner","23":"tag-close-walls","24":"tag-contract-negotiation","25":"tag-cost-cap","26":"tag-danilo-petrucci","27":"tag-engagement-levels","28":"tag-equalisation-measure","29":"tag-europe","30":"tag-f1","31":"tag-fan-infrastructure","32":"tag-fascinating-secondary-element","33":"tag-formula-1","34":"tag-formula1","35":"tag-getty-images-inc","36":"tag-grand-prix","37":"tag-grand-prix-circuit","38":"tag-grands-prix","39":"tag-hardcore-fans","40":"tag-hire-fee","41":"tag-immense-step","42":"tag-inner-city-street-track","43":"tag-interstate-victory","44":"tag-italy","45":"tag-john-bannon","46":"tag-las-vegas","47":"tag-liberty-media-corporation","48":"tag-low-commitment-chance","49":"tag-matt-clayton","50":"tag-motorcycle-grand-prix","51":"tag-motorcycle-world-championship","52":"tag-motorcycling-circuits-means","53":"tag-motorsport-category","54":"tag-myriad-changes","55":"tag-nevada","56":"tag-north-america","57":"tag-northern-america","58":"tag-oceania","59":"tag-off-track-entertainment","60":"tag-on-track-spectacle","61":"tag-population-centre","62":"tag-publicity-boosting-initiatives","63":"tag-qatar","64":"tag-race-weekend","65":"tag-regular-motorcycle","66":"tag-safety-implications","67":"tag-smash-hit-docudrama-series","68":"tag-social-media-accounts","69":"tag-south-australia","70":"tag-southern-europe","71":"tag-sporting-television-genre","72":"tag-sports","73":"tag-statement-formula","74":"tag-street-circuits","75":"tag-street-race","76":"tag-street-track","77":"tag-tunnel-time","78":"tag-typical-street-track","79":"tag-ubiquitous-sporting-television","80":"tag-united-states-of-america","81":"tag-untested-street-track","82":"tag-western-asia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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