After 17 years away, MotoGP's promoter, Dorna Sports, appears to want to put a Chinese Grand Prix back on the calendar, according to sources at Motorsport.com. But the Shanghai GP was shrouded in controversy when it hosted MotoGP races between 2005 and 2008, and the fact that it could come back could touch on another somewhat controversial topic—KTM's future in the sport.
The Shanghai International Circuit was originally supposed to host races from 2005-2011, but its contract was cut short, as the event was plagued with problems. Firstly, attendance and local interest were dismal, and this was mainly down to poor promotion, but there was an even bigger issue. The circuit's former director, Yu Zhifei, was sentenced to four years in prison in January 2008 for embezzling roughly $115,863.
The reason we believe Dorna is making a move to put a Chinese GP back on the calendar is that the CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, and his son, Carlos, the championship’s sporting director, traveled to Shanghai recently. The pair also visited one of CFMoto's manufacturing facilities during the trip, which could indicate a lot about the brand's involvement in the sport going forward, and KTM's as a result.
