If you're a modern motorsports fan, then chances are good (but not certain) that you might know the name Bob Barnard. Even if that name doesn't automatically ring a bell, you almost certainly know his work as a track engineer. While his name might not be as controversial as that of Hermann Tilke, instead what Barnard is known for is one of the best-loved circuits among both fans and racers: Phillip Island.
He's done other things as well, including working as the Engineering Project Manager when Formula One first touched down in Oz at Adelaide, all the way back in 1985. Here in the US, he helped usher in the reconstruction at Road Atlanta in the late '90s, as well as the rebuilding project of the infield of Daytona International Speedway in the early oughts.
Interestingly, despite all his years of accumulated experience (he also provides expert witness testimony in his track engineering and motorsports-related specialties), even a guy like Barnard still remains circumspect about what he chooses to speak on. I can't say this with certainty, since I've never met the guy, but it seems like he must have felt pretty strongly to send a missive that he calls "An Open Letter To Motorsport Enthusiasts" to the all-around legend known as Mat Oxley.
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In fact, the opening paragraph of Barnard's open letter basically says that since he moved away from Australia around 30 years ago, even though he'd been so instrumental in bringing these international motorsports to Oz in the first place, he still felt as though he didn't have the right to an opinion about the move away from Phillip Island. Nor, for that matter, the Adelaide Parklands controversy. And I get that; I, too, don't like to shoot my mouth off in public if I don't feel like I've earned it. It's relatable content, to my mind.
However, since the Liberty Media takeover of MotoGP (remember, it's also the rights-holder of Formula One, as well as a whole host of other racing series including WSBK), plenty of folks have raised concerns about what this will mean for these sports that we love. And now Barnard is adding his voice to the throng.
"It now concerns me that the decisions by Liberty Media, the owner of MotoGP Sport Entertainment, the commercial rights holders for MotoGP and WSBK, and the South Australian State Government will result in the loss of both iconic circuits, lost and gone forever. For an increase in share price for one and votes for the other, neither thinking of the good of the sport or the heritage they represent. The new Adelaide layout is not the original circuit and will not replace what is regularly voted on as the best F1 street circuit in the world, nor the best motorcycle GP circuit as expressed by the riders."
- Bob Barnard
He then goes on to raise a truly horrifying spectre in the next paragraph, opening it with the chilling question, "What would be the outcry if Bathurst were to be revamped for MotoGP, changing the layout, or worse, closed and sold for a golf course?" I'm not even an Aussie and I felt that line upon reading it, as much as I've enjoyed watching races at the iconic Bathurst circuit over the years. Indeed, turning that into just another golf course would be an inexcusable loss for both motorsport culture, as well as for the local community!
The controversies over moving facilities extend far beyond those with a certain nostalgia for (or knowledge of) motorsports history, though. Environmental advocates are understandably concerned about the removal of significant numbers of trees from the protected Adelaide Park Lands, which is a purposely established green space around the Adelaide area. Initially, the claim was that only 45 trees would need to come down; but in early June 2026, a new report revealed that the true number could actually be more than four times higher.
You don't have to be a math genius to see why that might be a bit worrying, particularly when nearly 600 trees were already recently removed from the area due to a golf course redevelopment project. While it's true that there's plenty of criticism to go around, and that Dorna had been requesting updates to Phillip Island for literal years from the government of the state of Victoria (seemingly to no avail), the move ultimately seems to be making no one very happy except for the shareholders. How very 2026 of it.
