Poor Finnish MotoGP fans. This is the third year in a row their new home grand prix got delayed. This situation not only wears heavy on the fans shoulders however, most desperate for some action are the owners of KymiRing. Imagine spending millions and seeing in nothing in return for years. But how did all this happen?
Finland’s Grand Prix History
The premier class of motorcycles has been hosted in Finland in the past. First in 1962 on Pyynikki Circuit, a street circuit through a city of 200.000: Tampere. Alan Shepherd won this race on his Matchless. Following year the race took place at the same circuit, this time Mike Hailwood taking the win on his MV Augusta.
Following finding Pyynikki Circuit too narrow, the venue switched to Imatra Circuit in 1964. Races here took place uninterupted until 1982, the largest 500cc class racing there until 1981. After this the circuit was found to be too dangerous for the ever-faster machines. Before that, in 1973 the international sidecar pilots boycotted the race due to the dangers of the narrow circuit.
Since then, there has been no motorcycle grand prix racing in Finland. Until . . .
A New Finnish MotoGP Approaches
One day it was decided that Finland should play host to MotoGP races again. Plans were set out to build a completely new venue, specifically for motorcycle racing. Apex Circuit Design planned the KymiRing. The same company has been most famous for designing the Dubai Autodrome amongst others.
Construction took place between 2016 and 2019, with the first GP planned in 2020.
2020, that is a year we all will remember well for some time . . .
Delayed, Delayed, Delayed again
2020, the year of global pandemics and reclusiveness showed a hard damper to real-world racing. It was decided in the northern country that large events better not happen, so the Finnish GP was cancelled in 2020. Following year, numbers dropped and everything looked just peachy.
Until summer started to come.
A summer high of infected people meant further lockdowns internationally. Finland decided again it would not be the best situation to gather 100s of thousands of people in one place.
Then 2022 came along. Everyone has grown tired of the pandemic. Numbers are low. Everything is looking fine. Then someone decided they need to attack another country.
Finland, being a neighbour to someone, decided yet again, it would be unsafe to gather people en mass. And fair enough, all are valid reasons to postpone.
But we want to see the new track. Please, let us finally go there in 2023.
Hopes are Up for a New Finnish MotoGP Race
The contracts have been signed, the track has been built. Everything is in place, except for politics. So let’s hope everything just calms down and everyone decides to keep cool from now on.
Hope. Hope is all we have left.
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