There will be no MotoGP in Santiago del Estero due to “the circumstances” of the country

It’s official: Termas de Río Hondo will not host MotoGP world championship action this year. The most important category in world motorsport confirmed the cancellation of the Argentine Grand Prix 2024which was to be held between April 5 and 7.

“Due to the current circumstances in Argentina, the event promoter has communicated that it is currently unable to guarantee the necessary services for the Grand Prix to be held in 2024 with MotoGP standards,” it was explained in a statement signed by the International Motorcycle Federationthe International Road Racing Teams Association y Dorna Sportsowner of the event license.

The brief text also informs that a replacement for the event will not be sought, so this season’s calendar will go from 22 to 21 dates, and the door is left open for a possible return in 2025, the last year contemplated. in the current career contract.

The versions that the event in the city of Santiago – the third of the season that started on the weekend of March 10 in Qatar – would not take place began to circulate since the beginning of the year. On Tuesday, the Spanish newspaper Brand He had assured that the cancellation of the calendar was a fact. According to that and other media, The elimination of the Argentine date from the calendar responded to the complicated economic situation that the country is experiencing, especially since Javier Miley assumed the presidency.

The state spending adjustment policy implemented by the president had a full impact in the organization of the Termas GP, since the event receives a significant sum of money from the national state, one of the three major parties responsible for carrying out the race together with the government of Santiago del Estero and the private promoter.

From CarburetingHowever, they pointed out that the “obstacles” were not only economic, but had more to do with “Customs, security and Intercargo logistics issues, that is, the entire airport logistics service to transport motorcycles and all equipment materials”due to the restructuring of public organizations, such as ministries, secretariats and other national agencies.

They also pointed out that in the early hours of Tuesday tickets for the race had gone on sale, which for many was a sign that the possibilities of cancellation were really concrete, despite the fact that last December, the authorities of Santiago del Estero had said that the date was assured.

Orly TerranovaExecutive Director of the company OSDorganizer of the Argentine GP, had anticipated the announcement in a talk with the newspaper The Liberalfrom Santiago del Estero.

“We, together with the Province, have done the impossible to try to get the national government to attend to us and respond and to give some type of sign of compliance with the contract. No type of response was achieved. There was silence. After 60 days of assuming They appointed Daniel Scioli as Secretary of Tourism, Environment and Sports. And in the middle of that it becomes impossible to hold the event,” explained the former pilot.

“The circuit is ready and I think they are now painting it. We had everything sold and unfortunately we do not have coordination with Customs, Intercargo, Gendarmerie or the economic contribution that the Nation has to make. Given the lack of response, the worst decision will be made. The truth is that it is incredible because there was no way to propose the project, the impact it has, employment in the region… This race was an economic multiplier, of service, employment, projects, investments. Crazy,” he added.

Last year, for example, the event generated an economic impact of more than 5,000 million pesos and brought together nearly 200 thousand motorsport fans, not only Argentines but from the entire region, since it is the only GP of the category that is held in South America.

The Argentine Grand Prix has been held in Termas since the 2014 season, when he returned to the MotoGP World Championship calendar after 15 years of absence. Since then, the only years in which it was not celebrated were 2020 and 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Before landing in Santiago, he had worked in Buenos Aires between the ’60s and ’90s, although not uninterruptedly.

Will it return in 2025? “Everything will depend on what we can do in the province via the governor (Gerardo Zamora) and we as private. The truth is that this generates damage that we do not know if it will be irreparable or repairable,” Terranova said.

With the cancellation of the Argentine event confirmed, the 2024 MotoGP world championship will now have 21 dates and after the first two races -in LosailQatar, PortimaoPortugal, on March 24 – will have a three-week break and will return on April 14 on the circuit of Austin for the Grand Prix of the Americas.