When the MotoGP riders hit the track on Friday September 22 for practice for the Grand Prix of India, the Budd International Circuit will become the 12th track to debut in the series in the past 21 years. Qualification sessions and a Sprint race will be held on Saturday with the features scheduled on Sunday.
While a new track levels the playing field among marquee riders, two current racers lead the way in victories on inaugural tracks.
Miguel Oliveria was the first rider to win at Portimao’s Algarve International Circuit in 2020 he followed up two seasons later as the first Indonesian GP winner in 2022 at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit. He holds the distinction of being perfect at inaugural tracks.
As good as that is, he is second on the list of inaugural winners, according to MotoGP.com.
As one might suspect, eight-time champion Marc Marquez holds the record with three inaugural wins. He won the first race held at the Circuit of the Americas in 2013, at Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo in 2014 and Thailand’s Buriram International Circuit in 2018.
Last week after a testing session on the Misano World Circuit in Italy, Marquez expressed displeasure over the progress made by Honda but the new track gives him a chance to start clawing his way back toward the top of the box.
And while Marquez is struggling in 2023, Oliveria boasts three top-fives and a sixth-place finish in his most recent race giving him an advantage.
In addition, six other tracks have made their way onto the MotoGP calendar. Sete Gibernau won at Qatar for the first time in 2004. Two tracks debuted in 2005 with Valentino Rossi standing on top of the box at Shanghai International Circuit and Marco Melandri at Istanbul Park.
Rossi earned a second inaugural win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2008. Casey Stoner took the first checkers at MotorLand Arano in 2010 and Andrea Iannone won the first race at Red Bull Ring in 2016.
The most likely scenario is the inaugural Indian GP winner will come from one of the four riders with multiple victories so far this season. If he has sufficiently healed from his crash in the Catalan GP, points’ leader Francesco Bagnaia could add a sixth win to go along with the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Austrian GPs. Marco Bezzecchi (Argentina and France), Aleix Espargaro (Britain and Catalunya) and Jorge Martin (Germany and the most recent round at San Marino) have two wins each this season.
Alex Rins won the race at the Circuit of the Americas to complete the list of winners.
More MotoGP coverage
Marc Marquez contemplates Plans “A”, “B” and “C” for 2024
Aleix Espargaro wins Catalunya GP
Joe Roberts to ride for American Racing in 2024
Fabio Quartararo unhappy with Yamaha
Aleix Espargaro wins British GP
