Termas de Río Hondo will not receive MotoGP
world championship action this year
.
As reported by the Spanish newspaper
Marca
, the International Motorcycle Federation has already made the decision to cancel the
2024 Argentine Grand Prix
, which was to be held between April 5 and 7, and in the next few hours it would make the official announcement.
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.
Both
Marca and the
Motorsports
site
assured that the elimination of the Argentine date from the calendar responds to the complicated economic situation
that the country is experiencing, especially since
Javier Milei
assumed the presidency.
The policy of adjustment of state expenses that the president implemented had a full impact
on 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. from Santiago del Estero and the private developer.
From
Carburando
, however, they pointed out that the "obstacles" would not only be economic, but would have more to do with
"Customs logistics, security and Intercargo issues, that is, the entire airport logistics service for transport the motorcycles and all the equipment materials"
, due to the restructuring of public organizations, such as ministries, secretariats and other national agencies.
They also confirmed that, until this Tuesday at noon, the organizers were not in a position to ensure the event would take place and that in the last few hours tickets went on sale, which would be a sign that the possibilities of cancellation are really concrete. despite the fact that last December, the authorities of Santiago del Estero had said that the race was insured.
The cancellation would be due to a logistical issue, rather than an economic problem.
Photo JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
"The MotoGP is done. The idea is not to cut the pace, because we have an orderly province without debt
," said
Nelson Bravo
, undersecretary of Tourism of that province, in the Elijo Creer program on radio Continental.
The reports that the Termas date would not take place caused a stir on social networks and many users came out to ask the government to unblock the situation to ensure that the
Argentine Grand Prix
can finally be held.
Many pointed out that the race is important for the economy of the city and the entire region.
Last year, for example, it 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 Southamerica.
Every year the race attracts a large crowd of Argentines and visitors from the entire region.
Photo JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
The Argentine Grand Prix has been held in Termas since the 2014 season
, when it 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, it had been carried out in Buenos Aires between the '60s and '90s, although not uninterruptedly.
If the cancellation of the Argentine event is confirmed, the 2024 MotoGP World Championship will have 21 dates (instead of the 22 originally planned).
And after the first two races - in
Losail
, Qatar, and
Portimao
, Portugal, on March 24 - he will have a three-week break and return on April 14 at the
Austin
circuit for the Grand Prix of the Americas.