MotoGP track presented in Adelaide: It is not a classic street circuit

– The Premier of the Australian state of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas, has presented a simulation of the new Adelaide city circuit, which will host the MotoGP race in Australia from 2027.

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The project, expected to be completed around November 2027 (the date the race is scheduled to take place), represents an investment of nearly 60 million euros (96 million Australian dollars), as Malinauskas announced.

The circuit is being built in the park where the Formula 1 Grand Prix was held until 1995. It will be 4.13 kilometers long and include 15 corners. The track layout incorporates several sections of the old circuit.

These include Stag Corner, Rundle Road, and Brewery Bend. Simulations estimate a top speed of around 343 km/h for the MotoGP motorcycles. The predicted lap time is about 1:26 minutes.

One of the most controversial aspects of the project, given the scale of the required construction work, is the environmental impact. As part of the redevelopment, 42 trees classified as “significant” must be removed.

In addition, there are another 335 trees that the South Australian government classifies as “regulated, unregulated, invasive, dead, or in poor condition.” Another 88 trees are to be transplanted.

Another 22 trees are “still under review,” Malinauskas explained. The Premier said that there are currently 8,895 trees in the area of the circuit, of which 95 percent will remain “untouched” during the redevelopment.

Of the investment of 96 million Australian dollars, 15 million Australian dollars will go into a package aimed at restoring habitats for various animal species as well as green spaces.

“We have worked closely with the Conservation Council to ensure that this project delivers the best possible outcome for all residents of South Australia,” said Malinauskas.

He also pledged to plant ten new trees for every tree removed, which would amount to around 3,770 newly planted trees. This action plan is intended to address the concerns of environmental groups.

They had organized protests against the project in recent months. These campaigns led to 43,000 people signing a petition calling for a halt to the project.

Adelaide is not a classic city circuit

Additionally, the first computer-animated videos are intended to dispel concerns that it is a city circuit in a guardrail channel and show that there are sufficient runoff areas and gravel traps.

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“It was important,” says Carlos Ezpeleta, Deputy MotoGP CEO, “to really reassure everyone and give the teams and riders a vision of what would be built and what would emerge there.”

“After the announcement, of course, everyone heard ‘city circuit’ and imagined a track like on the Isle of Man or in Monaco, and I think at least everyone who understands the dynamics of MotoGP can now clarify this point for themselves.”

“I believe everyone has understood what the vision behind the track is,” says Ezpeleta, because it is practically a normal race track built in a park in a city.

“We do not deny that there will be changes in the park, but there is a very significant and thoughtful process behind making the track safe. There are no compromises when it comes to safety,” emphasizes the Spaniard.

“The track must be safe. After that, it was about figuring out how we can achieve that while minimizing the impact on the trees and then compensating for it by replanting and transplanting other trees.”

Among other things, the paddock and pit building were moved from the middle of the park to the edge, “which now makes the park accessible all year round,” says Ezpeleta.

Much of the track will be built only temporarily, allowing the park to be available to the public for most of the year. Even gravel traps will be removed again.

“The building for the Supercars, for example, will be built within four to five months, and that will be the kind of building they will use for MotoGP. Work will begin this year.”

“The laying of the asphalt itself and much of what is still to come will, of course, only take place about a month before the event. So it is really a change from the way we usually proceed,” says Ezpeleta.

“We will also learn a lot on the operational side because currently, I believe, we have one or two temporary gravel traps on the calendar, and these are on permanent circuits. In Adelaide, all gravel traps will be temporary.”

“Everything will be built up and taken down again, so we really have to get Adelaide right,” says Ezpeleta. Whether this city circuit could become a model for similar new venues in the future, Ezpeleta did not want to answer yet.

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