Jorge Viegas slams lack of development at the iconic venue
FIM President Jorge Viegas has explained that MotoGP’s move away from Phillip Island and to South Australia was driven less by the quality of the circuit and more by the commercial and logistical realities of staging a modern Grand Prix event.
Speaking to MCNEWS, Viegas said that while Phillip Island remains one of the most highly regarded tracks in the world championship, long-discussed improvements around the venue and surrounding infrastructure did not arrive, and that ultimately left the door open for a stronger bid elsewhere.
“This was asked 10 years ago, that they should improve the facilities here, and every year they said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we will do it’,” Viegas said. “But it never happened, so now it’s gone, because Adelaide made a good proposal…”
Viegas also pointed to the broader challenge of accommodating and servicing the scale of a MotoGP weekend at Phillip Island, suggesting the limitations aren’t on-track, but off it—particularly when it comes to attracting and hosting bigger crowds.
“As to Phillip Island, everybody loves this track. I love to come here, but if you want to invite people, if you want to make something different, there are no hotels, there’s nothing. It’s really difficult,” he said.
Despite the shift, Viegas suggested Phillip Island’s MotoGP story may not be over if the required upgrades are delivered, describing the current situation as not necessarily permanent.
“It’s not a goodbye forever,” he said.
Several proposed developments on Phillip Island have previously been rejected or opposed through planning processes. A proposal from Linfox Tourist Development to build more than 500 apartments and a golf course near the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit was rejected by council on the basis it did not comply with planning guidelines. Council also opposed a proposal to rezone 24 hectares of farmland at Ventnor for residential use; that decision was initially overturned by the Planning Minister before later being reversed following a community campaign supported by council. At Cape Woolamai, a plan for a two-storey pub, shops and a backpackers’ lodge was refused a permit by council, with VCAT later backing the refusal and finding it would be an overdevelopment of the site. Councillors also voted against rezoning the Phillip Island Golf Club for residential development, despite advice in support from an independent planning panel and council officers.
As for what could replace MotoGP at the venue, Viegas flagged the FIM’s interest in bringing alternative top-level events to Phillip Island, including the 2028 FIM Intercontinental Games. The multi-discipline concept is intended to include motocross as well as circuit-based competition, and would position Phillip Island as a host for a major international motorcycling event even without MotoGP on the calendar.
