MotoGP | 2025 calendar: Dorna confident of confirming the 22 events

Dorna Sports’ Carlos Ezpeleta insists there is every intention to return to India in the near future, despite MotoGP’s absence from the 2025 calendar, which follows the cancellation of this year’s race.

MotoGP’s commercial rights holder has formally revealed a record 22-race calendar for next season ahead of this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix, with highlights including a return to Brno, a new event in Hungary and a new opening event in Thailand.

However, India is absent from the final published programme, after it was decided to postpone the event taking place on the Buddh International Circuit to 2026.

The decision was taken after this year’s Indian Grand Prix – which will be held for the first time in 2023 – was shelved due to “operational considerations”.

Although Dorna had decided to keep India on the calendar for 2025, sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta said that concerns about finding a promoter and modernizing the circuit in time forced the return to 2026.

“India is an extremely important market for MotoGP and the motorcycle industry. We have an agreement with the Uttar Pradesh region, but unfortunately with the deadlines for publishing the calendar it was not possible for us to meet all the deadlines in terms of selecting a promoter and updating the circuit,” Ezpeleta said.

“We therefore agreed that the best solution was to have a year and a half to prepare for the event. We still think there is huge potential, but we agreed that the best way to proceed is to postpone it.”

The release of the 2025 MotoGP calendar marks the third consecutive year that Dorna has revealed plans for a 22-race global calendar.

While a handful of event cancellations – including three in 2024 alone – have so far thwarted attempts to reach this record target, Ezpeleta remains confident there will be no shake-ups to next year’s calendar, despite some events being listed as subject to confirmation.

Among them is Brno, which is expected to host its first MotoGP event since 2020, provided it completes necessary resurfacing and circuit upgrades before the July date.

“It hasn’t been resurfaced yet, it’s part of our conditions to return,” Ezpeleta confirmed. “There are other aspects that need to be improved, but they have all been agreed upon, so we are looking forward to coming back.”

“This is a traditional event for MotoGP, which has attracted many fans for decades, so both the government of the Czech Republic and MotoGP are thrilled to have it back.”

Balaton Park

Photo by: Balaton Park

“Significant changes” for Balaton’s debut

The only completely new circuit on the 2025 MotoGP calendar, the inaugural visit to Balaton Park, will mark the belated fulfillment of an agreement between Dorna and the Hungarian government that now dates back some 15 years.

Initially, in fact, MotoGP had planned a return to Hungary in 2009, with a new facility built on the shores of Lake Balaton, but the project remained dormant for several years without construction starting.

However, the project’s resumption has led to the venue’s completion ahead of 2025. Despite the disturbing cancellation of a World Superbike round scheduled for this year and the admission that “significant changes” are needed to be ready, Ezpeleta remains resolute about his candidacy.

“We have had an agreement with the Hungarian government for a few years, but due to the pandemic there have been delays on some projects. However, we are happy to announce that we will race at Balaton Park,” he added.

“The circuit is recently built and will have to undergo some significant changes for MotoGP, but soon we will be ready to show the fans what it will look like. It is a typical layout, it has many fast sections that need to be modified, with some slow and technical sections that the pilots should appreciate it”.

Balaton Park

Photo by: Balaton Park

In addition to Brno and Balaton Park, Argentina will regain its position in the calendar after political vicissitudes forced the cancellation of this year’s Termas de Rio Hondo round, while Portimao – which becomes the penultimate round – is expected to meet the criteria update to ensure its future.

However, there is no talk of a third attempt to visit the Sokol International Autodrome, after plans for the inaugural edition of the Kazakhstan Grand Prix fell through in both 2023 and 2024.