Does this matter? Of course it matters.<\/p>\n
Racing is about speed. That is literally the whole point.<\/p>\n
MotoGP is supposed to be about watching riders dancing on the edge of the precipice, controlling their motorcycles at speeds that make everyday people gasp in awe. It\u2019s about engineers creating machinery that out-performs every motorcycle on the planet, through crazy horsepower, crazy grip and crazy speeds.<\/p>\n
The championship is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorcycle performance, so to me it\u2019s something of an insult to ask MotoGP\u2019s gladiators and their engineers to go to work at a go-kart track. Balaton Park is not worthy of MotoGP bikes and their riders.<\/p>\n
Taking MotoGP bikes and riders to Balaton is like moving the Isle of Man TT to the Tesco car park in Douglas.<\/p>\n
\u201cFaster. Forward. Fearless,\u201d goes MotoGP\u2019s new marketing slogan.<\/p>\n
Faster? Certainly not at Balaton. Forward? Is this new circuit good for MotoGP? Will it attract more people to the championship? I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n
So why has MotoGP signed a long-term contract with HUMDA (the government-financed Hungarian Mobility Development Agency) to stage GPs at Balaton Park, which is owned by opaque companies registered in Belize?<\/p>\n
Over the years it seems to me that Dorna have always prioritised making a quick buck over MotoGP\u2019s long-term growth.<\/p>\n
The Circuit of Wales\u2026 did it really make sense to move the British GP to deepest Wales?<\/p>\n
The Kymi Ring? Would a race in Finland be good for the championship?<\/p>\n
Termas? Why go to a circuit 700 miles from Argentina\u2019s centre of population?<\/p>\n
Mandalika? Why go to a circuit 800 miles from Indonesia\u2019s centre of population?<\/p>\n
![\"54741585696_5d7b0b27f7_o-800x450.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/54741585696_5d7b0b27f7_o-800x450.jpg\"\/)
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Bezzecchi and Aprilia led the way for the third GP in a row \u2013 Aprilia have never done this before, so they are going places<\/p>\n
\n Michelin\n <\/p>\n
In my opinion, none of these venues make any sense, if you prioritise growing the championship \u2013 to the benefit of fans and everyone in the paddock \u2013 over signing sweet contracts.<\/p>\n
The fact is that good racetracks make good racing, which is better for everyone in the championship. Conversely, poor layouts create boring racing, which makes fans turn off their televisions, which is worse for everyone in the championship.<\/p>\n
This is what I hope Liberty will bring to MotoGP \u2013 a longer-term vision, with a more intelligent attitude towards creating a better quality of racing that will attract more people to races and encourage more to turn on their TVs.<\/p>\n
If any Liberty bosses watched the weekend\u2019s action from Balaton, I wonder what they made of it, because it didn\u2019t look like the pinnacle of motorcycle racing to me.<\/p>\n
Not only is Balaton ridiculously slow \u2013 with around half the corners taken in first gear \u2013 it\u2019s also not particularly safe.<\/p>\n
Before the paddock arrived in Hungary last week there were already concerns about the dead-stop chicanes creating dangerous situations \u2013 a rider crashes in the first part, then the fallen rider and bike return to the track in the second part. That\u2019s exactly what happened to Enea Bastianini<\/a> on Sunday \u2013 a real lap-of-the-gods situation, because we all know there are few more perilous moments than when a fallen rider ends up on a busy part of the circuit. So why is MotoGP introducing new circuits to the championship when we know this is going to happen?<\/p>\n And the first two corners, it\u2019s almost like they were designed to cause pile-ups. There were two in four races over the weekend \u2013 in the MotoGP sprint and the Moto2 race. Same in World Superbike a few weeks before.<\/p>\n Frankly, I find this all so depressing. MotoGP can and must do better.<\/p>\n A 92mph MotoGP track isn\u2019t what the championship needs<\/p>\n \n Michelin\n <\/p>\n Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola was the only paddock person who spoke up, calling the circuit \u201cMickey Mouse\u201d, meaning, \u201cToo easy, small or unimportant to be taken seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n Why didn\u2019t the riders complain? First, because they\u2019re told not to. Second, because hating a layout most likely won\u2019t make you fast around that layout. And, anyway, they all train around go-kart tracks, so they\u2019re used to this kind of circuit.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the end, the championship needs different kinds of tracks,\u201d said Marc M\u00e1rquez<\/a>, with his diplomacy voice turned up to 11.<\/p>\n And why should he care about anything, he\u2019s currently unbeatable everywhere, from magnificent Mugello to dinky little Balaton Park.<\/p>\n![\"54733710541_430ec72c51_o-800x450.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/54733710541_430ec72c51_o-800x450.jpg\"\/)
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