Cycle News

IN THE WIND P30 to a release issued last week by Dorna. The agreement, which starts next year, calls for the 2015 Grand Prix to likely be staged at a different venue as the circuit near Ebbw Vale in Wales won't be ready to host next year. The most obvious choice would be Silverstone, the current venue for MotoGP in England. This agreement means the British Motorcycle Grand Prix will eventually be held at the Circuit of Wales near Ebbw Vale, a de- velopment that will be the flag- ship for the regeneration of the Blaenau Gwent area. "Our agreement with Dorna is a significant landmark in the devel- opment of the Circuit of Wales," said Michael Carrick, Chief Ex- ecutive of the Circuit of Wales. "MotoGP is the pinnacle of global motorcycle racing and expecta- tions within the series and of its millions of fans worldwide are for a truly world class event at iconic and state-of-the art venues. We look forward to meeting those expectations when we welcome MotoGP to Wales from 2016 and we are now working closely with Dorna and the FIM, MotoGP's governing body, with regard to the 2015 British round of the Mo- toGP World Championship." Carmelo Ezpeleta, the Chief Executive Officer of Dorna Sport S.L., commented: "We are ex- cited to be working closely with the Circuit of Wales after being involved with the project for more than four years. The commitment to MotoGP is obviously a catalyst to a wide range of exciting proj- ects aimed at contributing to the regeneration of the area, while we work together with MotoGP governing body, the FIM in rela- tion to the full homologation of the circuit. "The commitment to youth, to employment opportunities for the area, to its academy plans – linked to our own FIM CEV Repsol series – and the general invest- ment in motorsport infrastructure will ensure very exciting times are ahead for Blaenau Gwent and the surrounding areas." The Circuit of Wales is a $460 million project to develop a purpose-built hub for the Brit- ish motorsport industry around a state-of-the-art 3.5-mile track, with unrivaled facilities for visiting fans, according to the Dorna re- lease. Sitting on the fringe of the picturesque Brecon Beacons, the Circuit of Wales will be a ma- jor catalyst for business, leisure and tourism as it spearheads the regeneration of the Blaenau Gwent region. The circuit will also get an indoor academy training facil- ity, motocross, trials and enduro venues, an international kart cir- cuit and driver training facilities as well as a variety of leisure and cultural amenities, Dorna says. Silverstone did a lot of work in order to get back on the MotoGP calendar and now they've had the rug pulled from under their feet. They issued a release last week about the new deal signed by the Wales circuit. "Having invested heavily in its circuit and facilities, specifically to host the FIM MotoGP World Championship alongside For- mula 1, and developed the British round of the series into a highly successful event, Silverstone is disappointed not to be extending its MotoGP contract with Dorna," the release stated. Richard Phillips, Managing Di- rector of Silverstone Circuits Lim- ited, said: "We have expressed our desire to keep MotoGP at Silverstone, but the event is not sustainable at the fee level Dorna was proposing. Any future deal had to make economic sense and sadly we reached an im- passe. The Circuit of Wales ob- viously believes it can make the finances work." Looking at the immediate future for the British Grand Prix, Phillips added, "Should the Circuit of Wales project be successful, it is unlikely that it will be ready before 2017. A venue for 2015 needs to be agreed as soon as possible to avoid having a negative impact on the success of next year's British Grand Prix. Silverstone remains the ideal venue to stage MotoGP; last year's record crowds are tes- tament to the excellent British Grand Prix experience provided by Silverstone."

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