Government secures funding for Spa MotoGP push

Can you imagine the MotoGP bikes thru Eau Rouge

The Walloon Government has confirmed it has approved a loan for Spa-Francorchamps to make safety upgrades to the circuit if it secures a deal with Dorna Sports to host MotoGP.

The iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Ardennes valley played host to motorcycle grand prix racing from 1949 through to 1990, when it was struck off the calendar over safety concerns.

Last month, the Walloon Government announced it was beginning its push to bring MotoGP back to Spa in the following decade, and has confirmed to Motorsport Week that it has secured a 29.5million euro loan from Public investment and management fund SOGEPA.

Minister Pierre-Yves Jeholet said the loan would be part of a “five-year investment plan" to bring the circuit up to FIM Grade A homologation for a possible, and would only be released if a deal is put in place that would ensure the return of top flight motorcycle racing to the venue.

“I hereby confirm that the Walloon Government has approved the participation of SOGEPA (Public investment and management fund) in the five-year investment plan (2019-2023) of the company Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps of up to 29.5 million euros in the form of a loan," Jeholet's statement read.

“This loan will only occur if the arrival of motorcycle [racing] is realised and should be used to finance part of the work to be done to host motorcycle events (MotoGP and Endurance World Championship).

“[These would be] works that would not change the layout of the circuit and would therefore be compatible with the FIA requirements.

“Discussions are obviously underway with the various promoters to organise international motorcycle races on the circuit, with the aim of having, on the most beautiful circuit in the world, Formula 1 but also a MotoGP."

The timeline of the investment means a MotoGP round at Spa would not take place until at least the 2024 season.

Formula 1's current deal with Spa expires at the end of the 2021 season, after officials last year put pen to paper on a three-year extension.

Rumours of a MotoGP return to Spa gathered momentum early in 2017, with Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta revealing the Belgian circuit had been in contact over hosting a race.

However, he deemed the layout of Spa made it “almost impossible" for Dorna to homologate the circuit for MotoGP.