Circuit boss plays down ’epic’ F1-MotoGP idea

The boss of a current MotoGP circuit has played down rumours suggesting Liberty Media might organise a joint MotoGP-F1 race weekend.

Liberty, F1’s commercial rights holder, recently acquired the MotoGP promoter Dorna in a multiple-billion dollar deal - intensifying speculation of a mega-weekend combining the pinnacle of both two and four-wheel racing.

"I love MotoGP," seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton said when he heard about the rumours. "It would be epic if we can have them on the same weekend."

If the idea really goes ahead, Arjan Bos, chairman of the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, says he would put up his hand to host it.

"If they want to experiment with combining MotoGP and F1 in one event, we would love to hear from them," he said in the pages of the latest edition of Dutch magazine Formule 1.

However, he admits he doesn’t actually think it will happen.

"Honestly, no," said Bos. "I don’t think the revenue model allows for that.

"There has always been close contact about the race calendars between MotoGP and Formula 1 to prevent overlap, and that will remain the case," he added.

He thinks a more feasible idea could be F1 and MotoGP rounds "in two consecutive weekends in one location".

"In terms of organisation, that might be possible," said Bos, "but then you’d have to deal with other practical objections, such as police deployment."

One major hurdle for Assen, however, would be obtaining the FIA’s mandatory Grade 1 approval for Formula 1.

"We have shelved our old plans for that," Bos admitted. "We know what it takes and it could be achieved in one winter, but it is not an option at the moment.

"In the Netherlands we have Zandvoort and those people are doing very well and have a well-deserved and beautiful place on the F1 calendar. It does not benefit us as Assen to pry around in this."