[manolin]

I agree. Key is to have it permanent on the calender.

I went in 1.30pm and it was quite well organised. Found the designated parking yard easily and it was a 2 min walk to the entrance for the picnic stand. I have previously watched f1 from the Jaypee hospitality stands which were the most premium seats above the pit lane - I must say that this time the north picnic stand which were cheapest tickets at 2.5k was a lot more fun. The open air, free to walk around feel made it a much more chill affair that the seated tickets.

Overall very satisfied. I wish I had seen MotoGP live when rossi was there (I stopped following it thereafter) - but sweet to see his team VR46 win the first Indian GP.

Two things stand out in watching it in person - you can sometimes feel the pursuing rider giving it his all to catch up - there is that urgency and desperateness which communicates itself - I have never had that feeling on tv, but here at the exit of turn 2, which was a hairpin turn, you could sense at times who is pushing it.

The second thing was the lean angles, especially when switching right to left to right leans, between turn 1 and turn 2. It is scary - Buddh circuit shines with its tricky slopes and turns!

Awesome to see all this 1 hour from home on a relaxed Sunday drive!

[AtheK]

What a bloody crazy weekend, just landed in bangalore. There were hiccups, there were issues, could have been organized better no doubt about it, but did it ruin personal viewing experience of a spectator, absolutely not. It was amazing to see kids, girls all excited and showing up for the race. If you love or like bikes you have to come see this once.

It was a hoot and goosebumps seeing those machines, the riders leaning and accelerating and the sound of those machines. It was absolutely amazing, I am so glad I went, and I was lucky to see the action from three different stands, topping up the finale from grandstand, thanks to amazing bhpian @sns_12. The howl these machines make is something you can only experience on track, the loudest exhaust you might have heard will be no match to the sound these bikes make.

The Launch video that I took from the end of thr stand, video just can't do any justice to the experience you will get on the track.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vKO5iUHV...zqFRknkOUjr9-d

Letting John ride the safety bike was a good gesture, though he rode it very subtly and did not push it even once, guess he was directed that way, last thing you would want to see is the safety bike crashing. The moto 3 bikes are rowdy and sound absolutely insane, it qasam so nice to see them running on the track. Missed seeing MSD today, I thought he would show up.

I really hope they come back next year and I hope organizers do much better, the only gripe I have on personal level is the time they chose, it was bloody hot, thanks to rains on Saturday watching sprint was bearable. Hopefully they can get a late October slot next year, even the riders were struggling with the heat. The fan zone could have been done better, motogp india merchandise quality was below par, and option to buy merchandise was very less, hopefully more vendors will show up next year and maybe live performances from Indian bands over the course of weekend, make it a party. They have space and infrastructure, need to organise it better. They can also sell a single day ticket for getting more crowd, if I go next year and if they have one day pass, I will just go for the race day.

The food was reasonably priced though water was just 200 ml bottles, they should get bigger bottles as we are just adding plastic waste by selling those 200 ml bottles. Other drinks were also available and priced decently.

Another cherry on the cake was meeting bhpians and other friends from NCR region whom I have spoken to but never met.

Now if we can just get formula one back as well.





























And what is a Delhi visit, if you don't eat chole bathure.

[s.santhosh1195]

Won some paddock passes from the WeAre93 fan club. We had a really good close view of turn one, pit lane, and the last turn as well. Live feed does no justice to the sound that these bikes produce. It truly was an amazing experience.

Got to click a quick picture with Marc Marquez as well

[PaddleShifter]

I had a disappointing experience at BIC this time. I expect the rules to be fair and equal to everyone.


The Pathetic part of the experience- Management and organisers

On Friday, our Team-BHP member confirmed that people were roaming with dSLRs in the North Picnic Stand so we took our dSLR along on Saturday (we didn’t attend on Friday). As it was raining, we also took a raincoat and an umbrella with us. Once we reached parking N4, we carried our camera and umbrella along for entry at Gate 26.

During entry, they scanned our tickets but did not object to the camera and umbrella but when we proceeded for being frisked, they told us to keep the camera back in our car (fair enough as per ticket rules but why allow others on Friday?). What was actually bothersome was that they asked my brother to leave the umbrella also which they allowed to a fair lady 2-3 spots in front of us. Once we returned, our tickets showed “already scanned”. No issues in entry though as they allowed us to do so after a minute or so.

Once we entered the stand, we saw every other Tom Dick and Harry carrying an umbrella. On Sunday, it was quite hot to stand in the open. I would give zero to the organisers for diluting the experience compared to F1 2013 in which we did not face such restrictions. The photos from stock iPhone 11 suck once we zoom the camera 3x.

The Good part of the experience- The race and the riders

The only enjoyment was to actually see the riders drive between turn 1 and 2, quickly changing the direction and redistributing the weight on the motorcycle. Standing near the turn 1 edge also allows one to see the second half of the straight and the first part of the turn 1 while standing towards turn 2 allows one to have full view of turn 1.

GIF showing the fall on turn 1 during sprint race. I will rather sit inside my home in comfort and watch the race next time.

[SnS_12]

Day 3

Being my first ever Moto GP experience I went in for all three days getting up at 6 am and reaching the venue by 8:30 pm. The crowd kept growing with each passing day and the post 1 pm on Sunday it was almost a packed house near the Grandstand and that means you have to fight it out harder in the heat to get basic high valued refreshments. The most number of people were at the AtomX stall getting their cards refilled.

Really hope though that the future races are better organised and the fans get a better and lighter on the wallet experience

Some pictures....



Making my friend's pose for crazy pics..



Some more goodies shopping. This stall is where we spent the most buying stuff all three days.















My friend's Nadia and Darius who are big Marquez fans got their caps signed by the man finally. Happy Faces..



Making good use of sitting in the Sun taking a selfie with the front camera.



Bumped into a few friends



The National anthem being played.











Tony Arbolino Moto 2 rider whom I met in my hotel on Day 2 came in 2nd in the Moto 2 category. Hopefully, he would get his shot In MotoGP soon.





With Bhpian Athek in the Grandstand to watch the main MotoGP race









One last selfie before we head out to the madness that awaits us in the parking lot.



Had to walk quite a distance to get to our cars in this mess.





Final goodbyes at the Airport after a mad mad weekend.



I have stopped watching MotoGP and F1 and it's been a while since I have seen a full race on the Tele. But even though I didn't know many riders and their teams, this was an experience I didn't want to miss to see a MotoGP event in person.
After the event my respect for these guys has gone up many folds as just being a spectator has taken a physical toll in the harsh weather and racing these insane machines at those speeds in leathers is no joke. Even the guy finishing last is something many cannot even think of achieving and every rider who has participated in a winner in my eyes.

Finally, it's my love for motorcycles that got me my one second fame to be seen on International TV

[Manuggn]

It was something I was hoping I could see in my lifetime.

Except super hot and humid weather it was just perfect.

I got my tickets from bookmyshow for picnic north stand and I also got parking for all three days.

Tickets arrived in time with clear instructions and reached venue with clear sign boards starting from Yamuna expressway. Two hour drive from Manesar was a pleasure thanks to KMP and Yamuna Expressway.

Parking was also well demarcated and well managed.

Only thing which could have been better was food and more umbrellas as it was unbearably hot.

Crowd was less on first 2 days but on Race day it was super crowded and specially during MotoGP race all were standing in picnic stand not a single person was sitting.

Too much fun and noise from those 1000cc engines was just unbelievable… waiting for next season (if it happens)

[no_fear]

A few pictures from the "other" side of the race - mostly the pit, grid, and hanging out with the riders.

My brother is a dealer sponsor for Moto2 and Moto3 teams and he had access to enter the pit, stands and race grid. I joined him and it was a unique experience seeing how race teams work and run their operations.

Got to meet the race winner Marco Bezzecchi (who signed my brother's cap) and Michele Pirro and Fabio Digianntonio signed his V4R bike.

Also saw MM93 and the KTM RC8C bike that was kept private and not shown to anyone during the race days.

Enjoy the pics

At the Moto2 Grid before the start of Sunday race.



With Moto2 rider Alonso Lopez - awesome guy who spent a whole morning talking about his career and what he wants to do outside racing. He and my brother started talking about building cafe racer bikes.



Race grid action start - the most stressful part of the race - only the team support is allowed at this stage. Next few pics are of the team, riders and the bikes inside the pit

















KTM RC8C bike brought by the team. It was not kept on display but inside the pit.



MM93 at the pit - acting cocky as usual.



My brother with Bezzecchi - he was totally jetlagged and arrived 6 hours before to Delhi



Bezzecchi signature



Michele Pirro signs the V4R.



Fabio Digianntonio signs the V4R. The bike has now been signed by 3 MotoGP riders - Andrea Dovizioso, Michele Pirro, and Fabio



Ducati Lenovo getting ready to race for qualifying - Michele Pirro's bike is being set up

[aviator47]

I too got the chance to attend India's first ever MotoGP at BIC. Was spotting from Yamaha Stand (beside the main grandstand) right on turn 1, which is claimed as one of the most tricky turns at BIC. Had the mind blown feeling for 4 hours straight - from Moto3, to Moto2, to ultimately the MotoGP race.
Videos and pictures just don't do justice to the incredible feeling we get while seeing those machines in real life and hearing them roar. Being a pecco and marquez fan (yes both, don't come after me :P), seeing them in real life, albeit from a distance was an amazing feeling.

Few not so great quality shots from my phone as all are digitally zoomed,


Start of the race, you can see Jorge, Pecco, Bezzecchi and Marquez in order.


The tricky turn 1.


Safety car shot.


Redbull team flew down paragliding with glide suits.


Did some merch shopping

More pics,

[The_Medic]

Originally Posted by PaddleShifter

I had a disappointing experience at BIC this time. I expect the rules to be fair and equal to everyone.


The Pathetic part of the experience- Management and organisers

On Friday, our Team-BHP member confirmed that people were roaming with dSLRs in the North Picnic Stand so we took our dSLR along on Saturday (we didn’t attend on Friday). As it was raining, we also took a raincoat and an umbrella with us. Once we reached parking N4, we carried our camera and umbrella along for entry at Gate 26.

During entry, they scanned our tickets but did not object to the camera and umbrella but when we proceeded for being frisked, they told us to keep the camera back in our car (fair enough as per ticket rules but why allow others on Friday?). What was actually bothersome was that they asked my brother to leave the umbrella also which they allowed to a fair lady 2-3 spots in front of us. Once we returned, our tickets showed “already scanned”. No issues in entry though as they allowed us to do so after a minute or so.

Once we entered the stand, we saw every other Tom Dick and Harry carrying an umbrella. On Sunday, it was quite hot to stand in the open. I would give zero to the organisers for diluting the experience compared to F1 2013 in which we did not face such restrictions. The photos from stock iPhone 11 suck once we zoom the camera 3x.

The Good part of the experience- The race and the riders

The only enjoyment was to actually see the riders drive between turn 1 and 2, quickly changing the direction and redistributing the weight on the motorcycle. Standing near the turn 1 edge also allows one to see the second half of the straight and the first part of the turn 1 while standing towards turn 2 allows one to have full view of turn 1.

GIF showing the fall on turn 1 during sprint race. I will rather sit inside my home in comfort and watch the race next time.

Attachment 2508036

Exactly! The only people who seemed to have a good time with few complaints are those who got VIP passes and were treated to very close interactions with the riders/fans or both. I was at the grand stand and to be completely honest, feel disappointed for the following reasons-

• Basic amenities like food and water was a bit of a struggle. Just for drinking water I had to walk all the way out of the stadium and couldn't even carry water back in disposable glasses. Water being charged at around Rs 40 for 300ml was another story. The only thing that was kind of edible were the subway sandwiches. Everything else was just too little or too tasteless and borderline risky.
• BookMyShow monopolised their stupid card as the only payment option. That card needed Rs 100 to be recharged, had to be re-activated on their counters even though it had online recharge capabilities and the remaining money was non-refundable.
• The fan zone was terrible. Only Ducati came with some firepower and Aprilia with their new RS457. Rest appeared worse than village mela.
• The merchandise section was an absolute rip-off. I understand that you will charge me a premium but for that I should be getting a product worth keeping, an official product. The caps, for example, were right off of amazon and some are still available at Rs 169. They were selling the exact same thing for Rs 5000.
• The organizers probably allowed people who did not have tickets into the main stand ( do not know about other stands). I confronted two of them and they both were locals wearing slippers and had no idea what the price of the ticket was. I could have let that slide but they created a negative atmosphere by swearing and standing on the seats to take selfies and being obnoxious in general.
• Talking of obnoxious, the MC, who were apparently RJs from local radio stations left no stone unturned in their quest to embarass us. One guy kep pronouncing the names of all riders wrong. One had zero knowledge of motogp and kept saying key words and in hyperbole. Absolutely ruined it. I was melting in my seat from the embarassment. I hope they do not come back out of their own human understanding.
• Many tracks allow the fans to go on the track to see the podium celebrations up close. We took the grand stand seats in hopes of the same but did not happen. I can still digest this and would have been okay with it but now it compounds into the problem and not just an exception.
• The stupidity of rules being applied and the variability of how they were implemented. I saw steel water bottles, cameras, large bags, drinks, food, portable chargers and almost everything that was apparently not allowed into the stand.
• The ignorance of people there. I can understand adults not wearing any ear protection. They are allowed to do whatever they want with their body. But small children were subjected to noises of these machines and being a doctor, I am pretty sure it is a good time to be a pediatric ENT specialist in Greater Noida.
• The cabbies and the cops were not exactly helpful. But that is our bad luck that the only international circuit we have is in Greater Noida.

The kind gentleman in my neighboring seat said the experience is far better in other tracks. Even a village like Buriram manages to do significantly better with awesome fan zones, AC lounges and the likes for everyone.
Don't get me wrong. Me and m,y brother both are in awe of the event that took place. I had posted on reddit a few years back that I hope MOTOGP comes to India and I will surely go watch it. I did. Booked the tickets on the first day of the sales going live. And the track experience makes me want to attend more races, Probably one every year or two. But it will probably not be in India (till I hear from a reliable source that the situation has improved a lot).

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

I was at the grand stand and to be completely honest, feel disappointed for the following reasons-[*]The fan zone was terrible. Only Ducati came with some firepower and Aprilia with their new RS457. Rest appeared worse than village mela.[*]The merchandise section was an absolute rip-off.
[*]The organizers probably allowed people who did not have tickets into the main stand ( do not know about other stands). I confronted two of them and they both were locals wearing slippers and had no idea what the price of the ticket was. [*]The stupidity of rules being applied and the variability of how they were implemented. I saw steel water bottles, cameras, large bags, drinks, food, portable chargers and almost everything that was apparently not allowed into the stand.
Probably one every year or two. But it will probably not be in India (till I hear from a reliable source that the situation has improved a lot).

@The Medic - you, me, and several others have the exact same gripes. Bookmyshow staff randomly upgraded people to main grandstand by charging Rs 1000. That is why you saw folks showing up.

The main culprit in this is Fairstreet management. The fan village was a disaster, because they charged obscene amounts of money for companies, brands, and sponsors. And, no one was willing to spend and didn't turn up.

Local brands like Axxor, Rynox, and a few had approached the organizers to set up stalls. They were asked huge amounts of money and explicitly told they cannot sell any merchandise. That is why the whole fan zone was so sparse. Brands like Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, BMW cancelled their stands.

I sincerely hope 2024 MotoGP happens. It will be organized by a different set of folks and companies, but the overall response by Dorna and riders was positive.

[carobsessed]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

Exactly! The only people who seemed to have a good time with few complaints are those who got VIP passes and were treated to very close interactions with the riders/fans or both. I was at the grand stand and to be completely honest, feel disappointed for the following reasons-

I swear. The prices of the food and beverages were exorbitant. A bottle of soft drink that generally costs around Rs 40 was being sold for Rs 200 and the option of recharging a card at a single counter with the machine not working sometimes was disappointing. I enjoyed the race but the management was absolutely pathetic to say the least.

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

[mayankk]

The official merchandise was priced hilariously.
I picked up a VR46 T in malaysia for about 700 bucks. A much inferior quality, and creased all over, was being sold for 6-7000. Even the staff looked embarrassed when I said incredulously "Kitta???" (How Much?)

[Dippy]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

Exactly! The only people who seemed to have a good time with few complaints are those who got VIP passes and were treated to very close interactions with the riders/fans or both.

I wasn't there at the race weekend but my brother was there and he echoed your thoughts to the T. I missed on getting my accreditation so we couldnt be in the paddock. So my brother was in L block of the Main Grand stand.

He told me that for majority it was like weekend family outing with most having no clue whats going on. Most of them looked like free loaders who had got hold of expensive tickets just like that.

As you mentioned the water woes and the card recharge were a nightmare apparently. Not to mentioned the crazy priced merchandise.

And from the Insta content I saw over the weekend, there were many who got pit access even though they don't know the M of MotoGP. That goes for the so 'influencers' mainly. The kind of content Ive seen is cringe worthy.

My brother said the race itself was a great experience and he happened to be very lucky as well. He reached Delhi airport for his flight back to Mumbai a little early and happened to meet the Ducati and Mooney VR46 team who were leaving for Japan.

They were pretty friendly and he got to click pictures with Marco Bezzecchi, Jorge Martin, Peco Bagnaia and the rest.

Going by what you guys are saying, I think my F1 2011 experience at BIC was much better that way.

[Siddj38]

Liked the fact that the event was overall a success and that we are already confirmed to host a race next year as well.

As a spectator, the event was horribly managed.
- Promotion of the silly card from bookmyshow which was not even working half of the time
- no umbrellas and water bottle allowed, seriously? It was scorching hot with most of the stands not even covered
- no camera and binoculars (what's the point of this?)
- no powerbank. How are our phones expected to last a whole day when they are also double duting as our cameras too
- the access to the fan village was restricted to people who had grand stand tickets during the race

I had east zone tickets for Friday. It was not covered with limited access to water and hence had to leave early as the heat was getting unbearable and caused a massive headsche when I returned home

[surjaonwheelz]

There are always two sides of a coin! Many stands where the arrangements were below par. Whatever was under the MotoGP control was like clockwork. Not under the local organizers.

To list a few:
Volunteers using Ola scooters with no helmets.
Innovas plying around the exit lanes of the track
Ambulances at high speeds behind the stands.
Those shabby goods carriers (tempo) carrying the crashed bikes.
Pot bellied marshals who were thinking to go out or not. Moto2 pile up T1, bike on bike, no Marshalls at the scene immediately! (Marshalls had their own issues with the organizers)

Food and beverages running out of stock even with the high prices.
Some unnecessary prohibited items, later allowed to some. Backpacks and even cameras were seen on race day.

Many cars stuck in slush in the parking lots.

We as fans loved the event happening in India but in no way it's a success!!

Last but not the least pleasing all the folks with passes, media included. First priority should be given to those who paid for their own tickets!

👍🏼