Bob Barnard has spoken out against plans to shift the Australian Grand Prix to a new Adelaide street venue, warning the move could jeopardise both circuits and leave Phillip Island vulnerable to redevelopment
Bob Barnard, one of Australia’s most respected circuit designers, has come out strongly against the planned relocation of MotoGP from Phillip Island to a new street circuit in Adelaide from 2027.
MotoGP announced earlier this year that the Australian round will leave Phillip Island, a venue that has been part of the world championship since 1989. The decision has sparked concern, but Barnard has now added a particularly high-profile voice to the criticism.
Barnard played a key role in the formative work on Phillip Island’s modern layout and was also responsible for Adelaide’s original Formula 1 street circuit. In an open letter circulated by veteran journalist Mat Oxley, Barnard made it clear he does not support the proposed move to a new circuit in the Adelaide Parklands.
His biggest concern is what could happen to Phillip Island if top-level international motorcycle racing disappears from the venue. Barnard suggested the circuit’s future could be at risk, raising the prospect that owner Lindsay Fox may ultimately pursue a very different use for the land, including the possibility of transforming it into a golf course.
Barnard warned that the loss of MotoGP, followed by WorldSBK from 2028, could strip Phillip Island of the events that have long underpinned its global profile and financial viability.
He also questioned whether Adelaide’s new layout could ever live up to what is being lost. In his view, the proposed Parklands circuit would not be a worthy successor either to Adelaide’s famed Formula 1 street track or to Phillip Island, which is widely regarded as one of the finest motorcycle circuits in the world.
Barnard’s broader argument is that Australia risks sacrificing two historic venues in the process: Phillip Island through the loss of major events and possible redevelopment, and Adelaide through an attempt to create a new street circuit that may never match the legacy of the old one.
In the closing remarks of his letter, Barnard said that after giving the matter serious thought, he had reached the firm position that the proposed transfer of MotoGP to a circuit that is still unbuilt and undefined in Adelaide’s Parklands should be opposed.
Barnard’s open letter in full:
“When I heard of the plan to move the Australian MotoGP round from Phillip Island to a street track in Adelaide I adopted a position that after 30 years of living away from Australia it was no longer my place to have an opinion. I also took the view that as the person responsible for the creation of the current Phillip Island Circuit and bringing the event to Australia in 1989, and also as the person who created the Adelaide F1 track I should remain impartial.
“As some of you are aware I have been asked about my opinion, and answered that it was not an issue for me to be involved in, but offered my thoughts on its viability, having moved the race myself to Sydney, where it stayed for only six years, before returning to Phillip Island, but at least leaving a permanent circuit for the State of New South Wales.
“Recent comments suggest that after losing both the GP and the WSBK the owner of the Phillip Island Circuit property, Lindsay Fox, may turn it into a golf course. Mr Fox is already engaged in attempting to build a new circuit at Avalon in Victoria.
“It now concerns me that the decisions by Liberty Media, the owner of MotoGP Sport Entertainment, the commercial rights holder 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.
“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? Phillip Island preceded Bathurst, with the first Australian Grand Prix being staged there in 1923, while the Bathurst 1000 evolved from the Armstrong 500 at the current circuit.
“The current opposition in Adelaide is focused on the loss of the heritage of the Parklands, the public space, tree canopy and fauna. South Australia risks sacrificing mature Parklands trees while Victoria risks losing Phillip Island Circuit. Instead of creating a new asset, Australia may simply destroy two internationally recognised assets to create one uncertain replacement.
“Australia should not be forced to choose between motorsport and environmental heritage. We should not lose the world’s best street track and possibly lose the best motorcycle race track while sacrificing Adelaide’s Parklands
“Before irreversible decisions are made we deserve to see the full circuit design and true environmental footprint, the financial case, and an honest assessment of whether destroying two world-class assets is really progress.
“The local Adelaide community’s interests and the motorsport enthusiasts interests should therefore be aligned on this issue, and I am disappointed not more of those involved in both two and four-wheeled motorsport have spoken out.
“After careful consideration I am now strongly opposing this proposed intention to relocate the MotoGP to a yet unknown and yet to be built circuit in the Adelaide Parklands.”
