Dorna expects to make Indian MotoGP round decision imminently

Last week, Autosport announced that the Buddh International Circuit round, initially scheduled for 20-22 September, is set to be axed from the calendar after the race promoters breached a contract with Dorna Sports.

In response to that, Pushkar Nath Srivastava, CEO of the Indian promoter, stated that the event would take place: “The race is planned. Everything that is flying around is rumours. All contractual obligations will be updated in June.”

The issues arose over the promoter reportedly not paying certain vendors, including Dorna, but the organisers are confident it will be resolved after the Indian elections at the start of June. Autosport understands the delay in payment corresponds to the inaugural race last year and not this year’s event.

“India is one of the things to look at. In these days it will be decided. We can’t take long; next week or the following week at most,” Ezpeleta said during a presentation at the Catalan Grand Prix which takes place this weekend.

It is understood that Dorna has been working to reschedule the Kazakhstan Grand Prix in the slot that might be vacated by the Indian round, having seen it postponed from its mid-June slot following flooding in the region.

However, that is yet to be certain until guarantees can be made that show the Sokol circuit is able to host MotoGP in September.

“We have to see where we relocate Kazakhstan. In the next few days we will know something,” Ezpeleta added.

Previously MotoGP announced its intention to reschedule the Kazakh round in the second half of the season despite there being no obvious gap with 11 rounds between August and November.

The series had originally revealed a record-breaking 22-round calendar for 2024, but first the cancellation of the Argentina GP and then the postponement of the Kazakh round have brought it down to 20.

Argentina was scrubbed from the schedule due to government spending cuts under the country’s new president.

Kazakhstan’s postponement from its original June slot has opened up a three-week gap between the Italian GP at Mugello and the Dutch TT at Assen.