Indian GP Organizers Attempt MotoGP Visa On Time

GP India had a visa problem for drivers. (photo: Twitter @MotoGP)

Organizers of the Indian Grand Prix say they are working hard to ensure MotoGP teams and riders get their visas on time. This is important for them to participate in this weekend's race.

India will host its first MotoGP race at the Buddh International Circuit on the outskirts of Delhi on September 24. But this event has caused problems with the difficulty of visas and civil servants from customs.

Several teams, including the Honda factory team and its star racer Marc Marquez, were forced to change their flight schedule because their electronic visas were still being processed by the Indian government.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening September 20, in response to the chaos of this trip, Fairstreet Sports, which organized the race with the support of the Uttar Pradesh state government. They said they were working with Indian authorities to ensure all existing visa applications were processed quickly.

They also expressed confidence that all team members would be able to reach India on time so that the race could take place on schedule.

"We have received an update on the current issue in the visa issuance process," the statement read, quoted by motorsport.com. "We want to share that we have worked hard to resolve this issue in the best possible way."

"Most of the nearly 500 visas have been approved, and a large number of others will be completed soon. A dedicated team is doing everything possible to ensure that every racer, team and technical officer gets their visa as soon as possible. This incident was unexpected and we did everything necessary to deal with it immediately."

"We understand the importance of a smooth experience for all participants and participants and urge everyone to be patient and cooperate with us and the team," the statement added.

In an updated statement, the organizer added that "we regret the unexpected delay in the visa issuance process."

"Hopefully that this is not a reflection of our dedication and hard work. This is an unexpected technical annoyance that is part of the challenges faced in the inaugural event like this."

Meanwhile, several teams, including Ducati and Aprilia, managed to send their personnel to India on time. However, members of other teams are still waiting for approval to enter the South Asian country.

Those affected blamed the Indian and European agencies involved in the travel process for the delay.

If there is further delay, MotoGP will have the option to cut training time on Friday, September 22, both in part and in all. This is a step taken during the weekend of the Argentine GP when technical problems with cargo planes cause late delivery of goods to Termas de Rio Hondo.

This is not the first time a major international race in India has faced travel issues. A number of members of the Formula 1 paddock have also experienced similar delays when the Buddh International Circuit was still part of the calendar from 2011 to 2013.

However, the Formula E event in Hyderabad went smoothly without the obstacles of similar bureaucratic athletes in February. Hopefully in Indonesia an incident like this doesn't happen.