The man who laid the tarmac for Adelaide’s most famous racing strip says the government’s in for a rude shock when they start tweaking the course for MotoGP. Bob Barnard, the original engineering project manager, reckons the bill to make the street circuit bike-ready will easily cross the $100 million mark.
Barnard, who oversaw the track for the first Australian Formula One Grand Prix in 1985, hasn't been asked to help with the new upgrades. He says he wouldn't go near the project even if they begged him. His warning comes just as the state government prepares to shift the premier bike racing event away from Victoria.
I don't really see what the point is when the government's already got the Adelaide Grand Final and the automotive festival. They've got two great events there already. Why are we spending all this money building another one?
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas is playing it cool, though. He told reporters that nobody has put a $100 million price tag on his desk yet. He admits that preparing the city for a world-class international event isn't free, but he stopped short of confirming any specific budget for the work.
The track currently hosts the Adelaide Grand Final, a major Supercars championship fixture. Barnard points out that racing high-powered motorcycles on the same streets used for cars is like comparing chalk and cheese. He highlights that bikes hit speeds of 200 miles an hour—that's roughly 320 kilometres per hour. Riders don't have a steel cage to protect them if things go pear-shaped.
Safety requirements for MotoGP include massive gravel traps to catch riders who lose control. Barnard notes that the space needed for these traps is far beyond what’s currently in place for the car races. He warns that trying to squeeze both formats onto the same street layout creates a logistical challenge that requires extensive infrastructure modification.
Carlos Ezpeleta, the chief sporting officer for MotoGP, has been more optimistic. He previously suggested that temporary gravel beds and mobile barriers could be deployed whenever the bikes are in town. This method is already used for the Supercars, but Barnard isn't convinced that it will translate to the safety standards required for world-class motorbike racing.
Then there’s the issue of the local greenery. When the track was first built, the government gave Barnard strict orders not to touch the trees, and he managed to find a way to make it work. This time, however, plans suggest around 45 trees might need to get the axe to make room for the track modifications.
This follows recent local frustrations over the removal of 585 trees during the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment. The public is already sensitive about the loss of parkland, and any move to clear more trees for racing is likely to draw heat. The Adelaide Park Lands Authority is set to meet this afternoon to discuss the fallout.
The debate highlights a classic clash between keeping the city's calendar packed with high-octane events and the reality of the price tag. While the government sees a win in luring MotoGP away from Victoria, local critics like Barnard are asking if the disruption and the cost are worth the glory. Taxpayers are currently waiting to see exactly how much this project will cost the public purse.