The Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona has been named Best MotoGP™ Grand Prix of 2024. The race held at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been voted the best of the season by IRTA, in a decision ratified by the Grand Prix Commission.
This is the fourth time in the history of the Motorcycling World Championship that the Circuit has been awarded with this prize (1992, 2001, 2006 and 2024). It does so after being chosen as the venue to host the last round of the calendar in replacement of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, located in an area severely affected by the flash flood.
With Valencia and all the victims and affected people in mind, the Circuit worked against the clock to get the facilities ready for the last Grand Prix of the MotoGP™ season, which, beyond the duel between Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia for the title, will be remembered for its solidarity and tribute to the victims of the floods.
Miquel Sàmper, Minister of Business and Labour of the Generalitat de Catalunya and President of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:
‘The Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona demonstrated the incredible power of solidarity. It was a logistical and organisational challenge that was expertly managed by the professionals at the Circuit, along with Dorna, the promoter of the Grand Prix, the teams, and, most importantly, a remarkable response from fans, who came out in support of Valencia and all those affected by the damage caused by the Dana.’
Herve Poncharal, President of IRTA
‘We are very proud of how the sport came together in Barcelona. The impressive impact of the Solidarity GP racing for Valencia is something we all contributed to, and the incredible effort to stage an event in such a short time makes it even more unique. For that alone it would be a lead candidate for Best GP, but it was also an event that truly reached the level in every other way.
Sporting history was made with the first Independent Team rider to win the MotoGP crown, all available capacity was sold out, everything in the paddock was organised and supplied like we had begun planning the event months before. All we can say is thank you to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and their staff who made it happen, thank you to everyone in the sport who worked together so well, and thank you to the fans who came to the season finale to see history made, and in doing so, made such a valuable contribution to our collective efforts to support Valencia in their time of need.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports:
“The Solidarity GP was one of the biggest feats in the modern history of our sport. We want to thank everyone who made it possible and congratulate the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on receiving this award. It’s testament to everything we worked on together behind the scenes to create an incredible spectacle, a fantastic atmosphere and an extraordinary positive impact. That is the DNA of MotoGP™.
Finally, we want to thank the fans for making it a sold-out event. We couldn’t have dreamed of that when we first announced this Grand Prix, but when ticket sales opened we realised it was going to be even more special than we thought. Thank you for your passion for this sport, and for being a huge part of everything we’ve achieved together racing for Valencia.”