Mugello Signs Five-Year Deal to Host the Italian GP to 2031

Mugello will remain the home of MotoGP’s Italian Grand Prix until the end of the 2031 season. MotoGP confirmed a new five-year agreement with the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello on 24 September, securing the future of one of the championship’s most celebrated circuits a day before the 2027 calendar was revealed.

The renewal comes after a record-breaking year for the Tuscan venue. The 2026 Italian Grand Prix welcomed 178,723 spectators across the weekend, underlining the event’s status as one of the biggest on the calendar.

The key points

• Mugello hosts the Italian Grand Prix until the end of 2031.
• The new agreement runs for five years.
• The 2026 event set a record crowd of 178,723 across the weekend.
• Mugello first hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix in 1976.
• The circuit is owned by Ferrari.

A spiritual home for MotoGP

Mugello marked 50 years since its first motorcycle Grand Prix in 2025, and its history is woven into the championship’s identity. Crash.net notes that it has hosted Italy’s official MotoGP round continuously since 1994. Set in the hills near Florence, the circuit combines one of the fastest straights on the calendar with flowing, high-commitment corners that reward riders who can carry speed.

Carlos Ezpeleta, Deputy CEO of MotoGP, described it as “much more than a Grand Prix venue.” He added: “It is one of the spiritual homes of MotoGP, where the passion of the Italian fans and the history of our sport create an atmosphere unlike any other.”

Paolo Poli, CEO and Director of Mugello Circuit, said the renewal “demonstrates our commitment, together with Ferrari, to the future of Mugello Circuit” and would provide “a solid foundation for the continued development of the racetrack.” Eugenio Giani, President of the Region of Tuscany, called the circuit “an excellence for Tuscany and for Italy as a whole” and a strategic asset for tourism and investment.

Why Mugello produces special racing

The layout places huge demands on bikes and riders. The long main straight produces some of the highest top speeds of the season, so engine performance and slipstreaming matter. At the end of it, riders face a heavy braking zone into San Donato, one of the most famous overtaking points in the sport.

Beyond the straight, the circuit is built around fast direction changes and long, loaded corners such as the Arrabbiatas, where stability and front-end confidence are essential. It is a track where small advantages in aerodynamics and chassis balance become visible, and where a brave rider can make a difference.

• A long main straight that produces some of the highest speeds of the year.
• Heavy braking into San Donato creates overtaking opportunities.
• Fast, sweeping corners reward stability and commitment.
• Elevation changes and hillside grandstands create a unique atmosphere.

Record crowds and a memorable 2026

The attendance figure of 178,723 for the 2026 event is significant at a time when promoters and circuits are competing to host races. The 2026 Italian Grand Prix was won by Marco Bezzecchi for Aprilia, according to Crash.net, giving the home crowd an Italian winner on an Italian bike.

That kind of result feeds the event’s appeal. Italy has a deep MotoGP culture, with fans travelling from across the country and beyond to fill the hillsides. Italy is also one of only two countries, alongside Spain, to host more than one MotoGP round each year, with Misano holding the San Marino Grand Prix.

Where Mugello fits in the 2027 calendar

The 2027 schedule, released on 25 September, places the Italian Grand Prix on 30 May as Round 8, between Le Mans and Barcelona. That keeps Mugello in its traditional late-spring slot, when the European season is building momentum.

It will be one of the first opportunities to see the new 850cc machines and Pirelli tyres at a high-speed circuit. How the smaller engines and revised aerodynamics perform on Mugello’s straight will be one of the more interesting technical questions of the new era, especially as early tests suggest the new bikes are already close to, or faster than, the current ones.

Analysis: securing the classics

MotoGP has been busy reshaping its calendar, adding new venues such as Buenos Aires and Adelaide while some established circuits are absent from next year’s schedule. Crash.net notes that Phillip Island is leaving the calendar after the current season, which makes renewals for classic tracks all the more important.

The Mugello deal, following the Portuguese extension announced the same week, shows a clear strategy. MotoGP wants to expand into new markets, but it also knows that circuits with strong history and big crowds are the foundation of the championship. Securing Mugello for five years offers stability to fans, teams and sponsors.

For fans in Malaysia and across Asia, Mugello is often seen on television as the archetypal European MotoGP event, with its hillsides packed with supporters. The deal means that tradition will continue well into the next decade, alongside Sepang’s own place as the heart of the sport in Southeast Asia.

What five years of stability brings

A five-year contract, longer than the three-year Portuguese extension announced the same week, reflects confidence on both sides. For the circuit, it provides the security needed to plan investment in facilities, safety and spectator areas. For the region, as Giani explained, it strengthens Tuscany’s international visibility and tourism, with Mugello located at the gateway to Florence.

For MotoGP, it locks in one of its highest-attended events for the first five seasons of the new technical rules. That period will include the arrival of the 850cc bikes and Pirelli tyres, and having Mugello guaranteed throughout gives the championship a consistent showcase event in its most important European market.

• Security for circuit investment through 2031.
• A guaranteed Italian Grand Prix during the new technical era.
• Continued tourism and visibility benefits for Tuscany.
• A stable anchor as MotoGP adds new venues elsewhere.
• Continuity for fans who travel to the event every year.

The renewal also gives Ferrari and the circuit confidence to invest. Poli specifically mentioned the continued development of the racetrack, which suggests improvements to facilities over the coming years as the event continues to grow.