Adelaide street circuit to be reconfigured for MotoGP, sparking debate over tree removal and Senna plaque

A plaque installed after F1 driver Ayrton Senna died in 1994 is among a swag of changes to Adelaide's famed street circuit for the MotoGP next year, but an industry stalwart says it represents "transition" rather than the end of an era.

The government wants to return parts of the circuit to its original F1 layout, including the 900-metre Brabham Straight along Dequetteville Terrace, but is also proposing to shift Senna Chicane further into Victoria Park and dump popular Supercar components.

This includes the "staircase" and its challenging succession of 90-degree turns along the CBD's east edge.

"It's a new life, a different life for one of the best locations for a motor racing circuit in Australia," said Motorsport Hall of Fame chairman and longtime industry journalist John Smailes.

"It still sits in Victoria Park where [track designer] Bob Barnard placed it in 1985, so you're talking about a rich 41-year history of Victoria Park hosting probably the best Grand Prix that's ever been held in the Southern Hemisphere for cars.

"It's so close to town; it really does involve the whole city and, to that end, whatever the layout may happen to be, the geography remains pretty much the same."

A popular circuit

After the Grand Prix moved to Melbourne in 1996, the circuit was reduced to 3.2 kilometres for the 1999 Adelaide 500, which became the most well-attended leg of the Supercars Championship and grew a reputation for challenging corners, bumps and upsets.

Loading...

One of the Adelaide street circuit's major drawcards, however, is that spectators can be seated close to the action for much of the course.

The MotoGP, on the other hand, requires very large gravel traps along the far edge of corners to slow a dismounted rider safely, meaning spectators will be set a significant way back for bigger stretches of the circuit.

Mr Smailes pointed out there were parts of the current Phillip Island MotoGP course where "you can get up close and personal with the bikes", and expected the same in Adelaide.

"There'll probably be places where the aficionados will scope out the best parts to stand where they can still get the buzz of being close," Mr Smailes said.

The state government said the MotoGP track will be reconfigured for the Supercars Grand Final, which will take place about 10 days later.

Five-time Supercars champion Mark Skaife said the kerbs would remain "punishing and the walls will be inches away".

"The new Senna Chicane will be unforgiving," he said, and the track will be "super quick, with lots of overtaking opportunities".

A larger sticking point

The MotoGP's larger footprint, however, is behind its most controversial sticking point for a lot of Adelaideans, which is its requirement to remove trees from the city's national heritage-listed Parklands.

Angered by tree removals for a revamped golf course, a large protest movement has emerged that marched in the thousands on August 23, while a petition of 43,784 signatures tabled in state parliament has triggered an inquiry.

The state government has responded by promising to replace every tree 10 to one, and arguing that of 377 trees that needed removal, 42 were significant, 88 would be transplanted, and the rest were either "unregulated, invasive species, dead or in poor health".

Mr Smailes believed the issue was of bigger consideration than Senna's memorial plaque.

A spokesperson for the South Australian Motor Sport Board said the plaque "commemorating the life of three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna was a part of the folklore of the Adelaide Circuit".

"The intention is to keep it adjacent to the Senna Chicane, but the exact location won't be determined until the consultation process has concluded and the final circuit design is confirmed," he said.

A 'spectacle for sure'

Adelaide motorsport fan, Simon, told the ABC he was a "car guy, but the MotoGP is probably the most exciting motorsport to watch at the moment, given F1 has become so sanitised and tech-driven", and he would most certainly be attending.

"I'd prefer the F1 to come back, but MotoGP is a spectacle for sure and has a huge global following," he said.

"I also like the fact the infrastructure could be used for the Adelaide Motorsport Festival [AMF] as well, and could see that event become Australia's answer to the Goodwood Festival of Speed [England].

"[AMF owner/CEO] Tim Possingham is a very switched-on guy and I'm sure he has a vision for the AMF to grow and succeed."

Mr Possingham said he had been in constant communication with the state government about the incoming MotoGP and was working with it closely with respect to its build times and how the AMF would fit in.

"We're also mindful that the Formula One calendar hasn't been released yet, so there's a couple of moving parts we need to fit in with," he said.

"Anything that remotely comes to look like the great track we had in the 80s and the 90s and, in some way, shape or form, brings back that grandeur of a truly international event here in the city of Adelaide is very, very powerful.

"I think that that will be realised maybe after a year or two of the event being delivered here, and I think there's some foresight there of what might come in the future, and the government's looking further afield than national events with MotoGP.

A public consultation period for the proposed MotoGP track is open until September 20.