Visa Issues Strike Hard: MotoGP Bharat Riders Got Stuck

• Published On: 20 September 2023
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World champion riders like Marz Marquez got victimised by visa issues. MotoGP Bharat Riders facing issues to come to India at inauguration time of the event.

The inaugural MotoGP Bharat has encountered difficulties as a result of Tuesday's visa-related problems. On Tuesday, a large number of riders and paddock staff, namely six-time premier category world champion Marc Marquez, were set to go to India. However, they were unable to board their aircraft because they lacked the necessary visas. 

Marquez tweeted a photo of himself riding a mountain bike and said on his social media account, "Flight delayed due to lack of visa for India, so we are going to peddle for a little while." Marquez was making reference to the hectic scenario.

After his visa is received, the Spaniard can now onboard the trip to India. MotoGP Bharat is going to hold its first practice event on Friday, followed by its second practice, two qualification races, and Sprint Race on Saturday. Sunday is set aside for the main race.

Wednesday's visit to the Honda India plant in Manesar by Marquez and his Repsol Honda colleague Joan Mir has also been postponed. Like Marquez, Mir continues to reside in Spain, where he was born. Due to visa problems, the riders have not yet arrived in India. So they had no choice but to call off the event, according to a source.

Italian Moto3 racer Fillipo Farioli too had a similar encounter. "Unfortunately, the government has not yet issued the visa to enter India. I regret that I was unable to depart. We'll see how things develop," Farioli wrote in a message to his social media account. 

Additionally, TOI learned that some Moto3 and Moto2 teammates were unable to board their initially scheduled flights as a result of vias delays. The event was expected to draw more than 2000 visitors, including riders, paddock staff, team officials, and other world champion professionals. 

According to a source, organizations in charge of making the necessary arrangements for a smooth issuance of visas are to blame for the "unsavory situation" that has arisen. 

"Agencies from Europe and India are both involved in the process. Reputable agencies participated in the tender procedure, but the agencies who were chosen made mistakes. There was full chaos as a result. Things were already running behind schedule when the issue was discovered, a source informed TOI.

Later in the day, the Grand Prix of India, which also hosts MotoGP Bharat, released a statement.

“We apologize for the unanticipated delays in the visa issuance procedure. Please realize that this does not speak poorly of our commitment and effort. It's an unanticipated technological issue that comes with the territory of holding initial events like this. We are pleased to report that numerous visas have already been examined and many more visas will soon be issued. Every participant, from riders to technical officials, will obtain their visas as quickly as possible thanks to the enormous efforts of our personnel, who are working around the clock. We understand how important it is for everyone to have a positive experience, therefore we ask for your understanding and cooperation. We are entirely dedicated to making sure that all racing personnel arrive in India as scheduled, safely, and sound”, the statement added.