The world's biggest motorcycling event is all set to debut in India.
Come September 2023, the world's most powerful motorcycles will rudely shake awake a billion fans of MotoGP.
Yes, it's happening, finally. MotoGP is coming to India. And, after extensive research on Google, this is all we could find out. Read on to find out how much the tickets cost, whether you can watch it on your mobile while on the way to work, and if you can smuggle in some alcohol to the race venue.
When is it happening?
MotoGP Bharat will flag off on September 22, 2023, and will continue for the next two days. Between September 22 and 24, Moto2, Moto3, and MotoGP races will be held along with practices, qualifying, and other fun events planned by manufacturers.
Where is it happening?
MotoGP Bharat is happening at India's only FIA and FIM-certified circuit, the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Why BIC?
The BIC first saw Formula 1 action in 2011 but has been left out racing calendar since then due to several red tape issues. They seem to have been resolved because many brands like Audi and Mercedes-Benz use the track for customer drives and track days. Remember the Tata T1 truck championship? You don't? Well that's unfortunate because it was the first and only one of its kind in India
What's the BIC like?
The Buddh International Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, the man behind some of the greatest F1 tracks in the world. And, by greatest, we mean the ones at Sepang, Bahrain, Yas Marina, and several others. Now, the Buddh International circuit is a relatively compact track, which is great for some nail-biting overtaking action.
Why does Lewis Hamilton like it?
Multiple-time F1 world champion Lews Hamilton liked the track whenever he raced in the Indian GP. There are several reasons for that. Number one, of course, is the 1.06 km-long straight, which is the longest in any F1 track. Our favorite feature, though is the banked section at turns 10, 11, and 12, which is where all the leaning and cornering will take place. Number three is that the track has 16 corners, 8 being left-hand corners and 8 being right-hand corners. So, whatever tricks the teams may be up to will be put to the test in this 50-50 turn combination. It's going to be pure hell on the tires, for sure.
Will John Abraham race?
John Abraham, often considered the face of biking culture in India, will surely promote the historic event. Unfortunately, we won't see him battle with the Marquez brothers for a podium aboard a Yamaha M1. The image you see below is from a 2021 PR piece.
How many laps per race?
Considering that besides MotoGP, there are Moto3 and Moto2 races also scheduled, we expect up to 24 laps of pure MotoGP racing. Moto3 will last for 19 laps and Moto2 for 17 laps. The total distance is 119 km (MotoGP), 94.2 km (Moto2), and 84.3 km (Moto3).
What is the schedule?
Friday, 22nd September:
Practice 1 and 2 (Moto3, Moto2, and Moto GP) - 09:30 IST to 16:30 IST
Saturday, 23rd September:
Free Practice (Moto3, Moto2, and Moto GP) - 09:10 IST to 11:10 IST
Qualifying 1 and 2 (Moto3, Moto2, and Moto GP) - 11:20 IST to 14:55 IST
Moto GP Sprint Race - 15:30 IST
Sunday, 24th September:
Moto3 Race - 11:30 IST
Moto2 Race - 12:45 IST
Moto GP Race - 14:30 IST
What about tickets?
You can book tickets on BookMyShow. Prices start from INR 800, but our guess is that the cheapest tickets are already sold out. The most expensive ones cost INR 25,000. That one will get you grandstand access, a view of the starting grid of the race, and more. The best seats in the house, though are the INR 40,000 Platinum Standard Box. Because they cost as much a month's wages for most middle-class Indians, the Platinum box comes with air-conditioned seats, free food, and beverages. There are only 55 such seats and if you've bought one, we need your autograph! Yamaha riders, fans and lovers, stay tuned on the India Yamaha twitter channel because the Japanese company is leading a strong marketing assault to attract more customers. We smell free MotoGP ticket, merch and more.
What about the couch riders?
You can also watch it at home with a beer in hand, on Sports18 and JioCinema.
What about English-speaking cops?
Yes, that's happening too. Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Station has started training 300 personnel in spoken English and other soft skills. They're part of a mammoth 10,000-strong police force deployed just for MotoGP Bharat. This is more than double the active strength of the district police force.
What about the teams?
Images speak what a thousand words cannot, so here's a graphic for you.
Sources
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About the author
Hi, I am Adreesh Ghoshal. I love Manna Dey, Mutton Keema, and Motorcycles equally. Sometimes, it's hard to choose. Follow here.