Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio says he would like to see more street circuits in MotoGP to bring the series closer to fans, but stressed that rider safety remains paramount.
The problems encountered at Goiania, host of this year's Brazilian MotoGP round, have prompted broader questions about the suitability of different venues for motorcycle racing, particularly as MotoGP prepares to add a street circuit in Adelaide from 2027.
The main concerns surrounding the Australian track crucially are safety-related.
However, some figures within the paddock have backed the introduction of more street circuits into the MotoGP calendar, while rightly stressing that safety standards must remain extremely high.
One of them is Brivio. The Trackhouse team principal believes it would be positive for MotoGP to follow the example of championships that already use circuits built within cities.
As MotoGP sometimes races in locations that are a long way from where people live. Bringing the premier class to people, as Formula 1 and Formula E already do, could be a good solution.
"Adelaide? I'm not worried. On the contrary, it excites me a lot," Brivio said. "I think that's the way forward. I'd like to see more of them, obviously with the appropriate safety measures. But on that I think the organisers and safety officials know what a track has to be like. I do think, though, that this is the way forward.
"Sometimes we go racing in areas that are a bit isolated, a bit difficult to reach. Instead, taking MotoGP into cities– and that's what F1 is doing with Miami, Las Vegas, Madrid, etc... – is also what the biggest sports do: stadiums and indoor arenas are in cities or very close to cities. Close to the people. We have to go where the people are."
Brivio was keen to underline the importance of safety. If MotoGP is to race on street circuits, appropriate measures will be required to ensure riders can crash without facing an unacceptable risk of serious injury because of the surrounding structures.
"Our sport is more complicated and you can't build tracks in cities," Brivio continued. "But I think it is possible to create street circuits with safety measures, and I hope Adelaide's example can also be replicated by other cities.
"Now, I wouldn't do 22 races in cities, but two, three, four or five would be interesting and nice. That would be the way forward. It's also what we envy about Formula E, because they race right in cities, among the people. I'm happy and curious about this, and I hope other locations can follow Adelaide's example."
