Visas Adrift: MotoGP Riders and Teams Stranded Before India

Published by Stree Missile on 20/09/202320/09/2023

MotoGP has been shaken by a visa chaos that has left many riders and teams stranded before their scheduled trip to India. Among those affected is Honda's champion, Marc Márquez, who shared his experience on social media while waiting for his visa.

Este martes, numerosos miembros del paddock de MoótoGP se preparaban para partir hacia la India, pero se encontraron con un obstáculo inesperado: sus visados no llegaron a tiempo. Marc Márquez, quien tenía programado un vuelo por la mañana, se vio obligado a posponer su viaje debido a la falta de su visado y optó por aprovechar el tiempo para salir a andar en bicicleta de montaña.

However, Márquez is not alone in this situation. Several riders and teams have been affected by delays in obtaining their visas, leading to uncertainty in the paddock. While some teams, such as Ducati and Yamaha, received their visas as planned, others, like Honda, are still awaiting approval for their documents.

Confusion reigns amid this setback, and many of those affected are pointing fingers at the agencies responsible for handling visas, both European and Indian, as responsible for the delay. The consequences of these delays are already becoming evident, with event cancellations and missed flights by riders, teams, and journalists.

For example, Honda had to cancel an event that Joan Mir was supposed to attend because the rider is still in Spain. Additionally, many journalists and photographers have also had to deal with the loss of their flights and the purchase of new tickets. To alleviate some of this financial burden, the International Road-Racing Teams Association (IRTA) has committed to covering expenses related to flight changes.

It is expected that all personnel will ultimately land in Delhi no later than Thursday. However, if this does not happen, there is consideration of the possibility of partially or completely suspending the scheduled activities for Friday. This situation brings back memories of last season's Argentina Grand Prix, where activities were suspended due to logistical issues with charter flights carrying the necessary equipment for the race in Termas de Río Hondo.

The visa chaos has added an unexpected twist to the MotoGP season and raises questions about the organization of future international events amidst the complex travel regulations in pandemic times.