Two weeks after an article in the Bangkok Post confirmed the Thai Government had set aside the equivalent of $8.7million to bring MotoGP to the country, reports from German media suggest a two-year deal with Dorna Sports has been finalised.
The Chang International Circuit has staged a round of the World Superbike Championship since 2015, and is typically the series’ highest attended event, thanks to a massive growth in popularity in two wheels in the region.
MotoGP owners Dorna has been keen to increase its presence in South East Asia for that exact reason, and it seems from 2018 the world’s premier motorcycle racing series will stop off in Thailand.
It is thought the Thai round will take place towards the back-end of the season, likely being paired with the Malaysian race at the Sepang International Circuit.
This will come as a relief to all paddock personnel, as it means an end to the gruelling triple-header flyaway portion of the season.
Thailand’s inclusion on the schedule will bring the total number of races up to 19, which will make 2018 the longest season in the MotoGP’s history.
More circuits are vying for a place on the calendar from next year, with Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Hungary potential future destinations. Currently all but Jerez, Termas de Rio Hondo and the Red Bull Ring have contracts that extend past 2018, and those three are all still hugely popular among fans.
However, with Finland and the in-construction KymiRing under contract from 2018 – though it now seems likely it won’t join the calendar until 2019 – and Dorna keen to keep to a maximum of 20 races per season, there simply isn’t room to accommodate.
