India is gearing up to host the first-ever MotoGP race at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida between September 22-24, 2023. However, the clouds of uncertainty had been hovering around the event lately as the homologation process is yet to be finalized and the track safety is yet to receive a go-ahead from the riders with the inspection due on Thursday.
Additionally, several riders and teams had been turned away from their flights as they had not received the mandatory visa approvals on time. However, the concerned stakeholders and governments worked tirelessly to ensure that the e-visas are granted promptly for the event to take place as scheduled.
Now, the official X (formerly known as Twitter) handle of MotoGP took to the platform and thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government as well as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s UP government for helping to secure last-minute visas for several riders and team members ahead of the upcoming Indian Grand Prix.
“We want to say a HUGE thank you to the governments of Uttar Pradesh and India, and everyone who’s worked so hard to get us to the
#IndianGP! We’re so grateful for the effort and support to help the paddock prepare for the inaugural GP in India शुक्रिया”, the tweet from MotoGP read.
The race is the first major motorsport event to be held in India since Formula 1’s Indian Grand Prix in 2013, and it is expected to attract a large crowd of fans. The MotoGP statement comes amid reports that several riders, including six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, and team members had been struggling to obtain visas for India.
Meanwhile, Fairstreet Sports, which is organizing the race in India with support from the state government, issued a statement saying that they are confident that all the riders and teams will arrive in India and the visas will be issued timely. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to the MHA and the Indian Government for their unwavering support. Rest assured, we are fully committed to ensuring that all race personnel arrive in India as planned, safe and sound.”
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