MotoGP under starters orders for Thai debut next October
MotoGP will make its Thai debut in October next year, it was confirmed yesterday.
Sports Authority of Thailand governor Sakol Wannapong, signed a three-year deal with Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP owner Dorna Sports, to hold the race from 2018.
“Signing this contract makes Thailand one of the 19 venues for MotoGP racing ... it is provisionally set for the first weekend of October next year,” the SAT said in a statement.
The race will be held at Chang International Circuit in Buri Ram and is set up for the first week of October next year. Winter testing will also be held at the same venue between Feb 16-18, it added.
The Thailand Grand Prix will be one of the 19 races on the 2018 MotoGP calendar.
“We are happy that MotoGP is coming to Thailand and you can see that this is a very good deal for everyone,” said Deputy Prime Minister Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn during yesterday’s ceremony at the SAT headquarters.
“The government would like to thank every sector in Thailand for pushing this project. This proves that Thailand is ready to host a world-class sporting event like MotoGP.
“Tourists from all over the world will head to Thailand and the economic and the tourist impact will be very good for Thailand.
“I would also like to thank Dorna Sports for coming to Thailand with the competition and also the winter testing.”
Thailand currently has one active rider, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of Honda Team Asia, competing in the Moto3 world championship.
Securing MotoGP is a personal coup for Newin Chidchob, a 58-year-old veteran of Thailand’s bear-pit politics, who has pulled in rich contacts to build first-class sports facilities in his home province of Buri Ram.
In 2014, he unveiled the two-billionbaht Formula One-certified circuit in the province.
Newin also owns Thai League 1 football team Buriram United and the club’s I-Mobile Stadium which is the biggest private-owned stadium in Thailand.