The Adelaide MotoGP circuit that will host the Australian Grand Prix from 2027 was officially unveiled today by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, marking a major milestone toward the world’s first city-centre MotoGP race. The proposed $96 million project is the result of months of collaboration between MotoGP, the FIM, and partners in Adelaide.
An immersive unveiling event projected a 360-degree impression of the plans for those in attendance, marking a significant step on the road to Adelaide hosting a genuinely new chapter in the sport’s history. The event replaces Phillip Island as Australia’s MotoGP host, ending that circuit’s run of nearly 30 consecutive years on the calendar.
The Adelaide MotoGP Circuit’s Historic F1 Roots
Set on the same streets that once hosted Formula 1 in Adelaide, the circuit will be one of a kind in MotoGP, combining the atmosphere of a major festival with the spectacle of the world’s premier motorcycle racing championship in the heart of one of Australia’s leading event destinations.
The 4.13km, 15-corner Adelaide MotoGP circuit reimagines the city’s iconic F1-era street track for a new era, reviving legendary sections including Stag Corner, Rundle Road, Brewery Bend, and Dequetteville Terrace.
Premier Malinauskas leaned directly into that history at the unveiling. “For more than 40 years, the Adelaide street circuit has generated some of the most famous images in motor sport,” he said, pointing to Nigel Mansell’s exploding tyre, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost sharing the podium after Senna’s final F1 win, and Craig Lowndes winning from last on the grid. Adelaide last hosted Formula 1 in 1995.
Adelaide MotoGP Circuit Speeds and Safety
Modelling shows MotoGP bikes will reach speeds of up to 343 km/h on the new layout, with lap times of around 1 minute 26 seconds. Carlos Ezpeleta, Deputy CEO of MotoGP Group, said the design process centered on making the circuit both exciting and, most importantly, safe. “We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved,” he said, calling it a totally new experience for riders, teams, and fans.
Community impact was also central to the planning process, according to Ezpeleta, who said organizers worked closely with local stakeholders from day one to ensure the circuit delivers positive outcomes for both the community and the environment. He acknowledged a project of this scale will create some disruption, with the stated goal being that Adelaide residents feel genuinely connected to the event rather than simply inconvenienced by it.
What the Adelaide MotoGP Circuit Means Long-Term
MotoGP will return to Adelaide annually through 2032 under the agreement, and the circuit will also host Supercars, giving the city a dual-series venue built from the ground up rather than adapted from a single sport. Organizers have framed the project’s ambitions well beyond race weekend itself, with plans to use the event as a catalyst for enhancing the park lands and public spaces that form part of the circuit.
That includes stated initiatives to protect existing green space, create new public areas, and improve the public realm more broadly, positioning the circuit as year-round civic infrastructure rather than a track that sits dormant for 51 weeks a year.
Malinauskas pointed to a global audience of more than 630 million people as part of the case for the investment, alongside the tens of thousands of visitors the event is projected to draw to the city and state each year.
Adelaide’s addition also continues a broader expansion of world championship motorcycle racing into new corners of Australia, following WorldSBK’s own move to The Bend as its Australian round venue starting in 2028.
Building a circuit from scratch specifically for MotoGP, rather than retrofitting one designed for cars, is a genuinely new approach for the series as it looks to grow beyond its traditional European base. Whether Adelaide’s purpose-built city circuit becomes the model other markets follow, or a one-off shaped by this city’s unique F1 history, should become clearer once bikes actually turn a wheel on it in 2027.
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