BAGNAIA SAYS ADELAIDE LOOKS BORING COMPARED TO PHILLIP ISLAND

MotoGP’s Australian Grand Prix is set for a major change: from 2027, the race will no longer be held at Phillip Island, ending a 30-year era at the traditional seaside circuit. The switch comes as the championship moves the event to Adelaide, where a new street track is planned—an approach aligned with Liberty Media’s goal of bringing MotoGP closer to fans.

The move has not been universally welcomed. Ahead of the first on-track details, many riders have expressed doubts about the new layout, particularly regarding safety. During the Aragon Grand Prix, the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna) unveiled the first computer animation of the Adelaide circuit, giving teams and riders their first real look at what is coming.

According to the presentation, the Adelaide track will be 4.13 kilometers long with 15 corners. With the new 850cc prototype machinery, organizers expect top speeds of more than 340 km/h—figures that only add to the scrutiny from those concerned about how the circuit will handle high-speed braking zones and rider protection on a street course.

One of the riders weighing in was Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia, who said it was difficult to judge the circuit purely from footage. “It’s hard to imagine it from a video,” Bagnaia reflected, before adding that while it “looks like fun,” he still doesn’t know how fast riders will be able to go there or how tight the corners will feel in practice. He also compared the character of the new venue to existing tracks: “The layout doesn’t look too bad, but it’s not like Phillip Island. It looks much more boring than Phillip Island, but it seems better than Balaton.”

Bagnaia’s comments also reference the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary, which has been part of the calendar since 2025. The Speedweek report notes that while the facility is modern, its stop-and-go nature and some very tight corners have been viewed as too small for the fast MotoGP machines, and it is widely expected that Balaton Park may not remain on the schedule beyond 2027.