MotoGP races will return to Brno next year
The World Road Motorcycle Championship will return to Brno’s Masaryk Circuit next year after a five-year break, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced. The state will support the event financially through the National Sports Agency.
With over 50 years of motorcycle Grand Prix history Brno’s iconic race attracted tens of thousands of people from at home and abroad, until its closure, for financial reasons, in 2020. Known for its challenging mix of slopes and corners, many are looking forward to the return of the notorious Masaryk Circuit to the MotoGP calendar.
Following the announcement of the MotoGP's return to Brno, Czech motorcycle rider Filip Salač expressed his surprise and excitement to Czech Radio.
“It is amazing. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it. After the races ended, a return was truly difficult but it happened and I am looking forward to it very much. I was there for the last three races in Brno even at the last one during the pandemic when there was no audience, which was sad. It’s an amazing feeling when you go to the stadium with thousands of fans with Czech flags, it’s something you can’t forget.”
The historic track was removed from the schedule due to safety concerns over low grip levels and the need for resurfacing. Lacking the funds for these upgrades, the previous owners, the Abraham family sold the venue to Karel Hubáček in August 2023.
Mr. Salač commented on the problems with the previous track and what he would want to see change:
“I don’t think that the bumps are that detrimental. The problem was more with the fact that the cement was old, resulting in wearing down the tires. When there are temperatures like now, the times on the racetrack are about 3 seconds slower, which is a big difference. When you get fresh cement, it changes the track completely.”
For the Czech driver, Masaryk Circuit is one of the more unique racetracks in the world.
“I think that in the world it is specific because it’s one of the few old-school tracks, if I could call it that, where you have uphill downhill, a lot of nature. In today’s day, you don’t have that much. Here, you have a natural, classical track. That’s why we all love returning here.”
Brno and regional councilors approved a contribution of CZK 35 million for each year for five years, which is the period for which the organizer has a signed contract with the promoter. But according to Autoclub president Jan Št'ovíček, a large part of the money will be provided by private investment. At the time of writing, it is not clear how much the state will contribute. Prime Minister Fiala said the amount is not yet fixed and will be part of the state budget for next year.
The prime minister justifies the investment because the races are one of the most visited and watched events in Czechia, which he said brings benefits to the region and country.
“The event is important for Brno, Moravia, and Czechia. Not only from the economic point of view, which is significant. But it is an event that has a significant cultural dimension.”
That said, opponents of the races have questioned the contributions from public sources. A few years ago, there were discussions of reconstructing the racetrack at a cost of CZK 100 million. The mentioned current owner of Automotodrom Brno, Mr. Hubáček, told reporters that without this investment, the race would not be possible.
