The Valencia Grand Prix will once again bring the curtain down on the MotoGP season in 2027.
MotoGP confirmed on Tuesday that Valencia will host the final round of next year’s championship from November 26 to 28, continuing its long association with the season-ending slot.
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The event has been part of the Grand Prix calendar since 1999 and has become synonymous with title deciders and end-of-season celebrations, while its current agreement keeps it on the calendar until 2031.
However, Valencia has not always occupied the final spot. In fact, there have been five seasons since its debut when the championship concluded elsewhere.
1999 – Argentina closes Valencia’s debut season
Valencia was nowhere near the end of the calendar when it made its World Championship debut in 1999.
The new venue hosted round 12 of the 16-race campaign on September 19, with Regis Laconi taking victory in the 500cc class.
The paddock still had plenty of travelling ahead, with Australia, South Africa and Brazil following before the Argentine Grand Prix brought the season to an end in Buenos Aires on October 31.
2000 – Phillip Island gets final word
Valencia remained a September fixture for its second season on the calendar, again leaving several rounds to come after the Spanish stop.
The September 17 race, won by Garry McCoy, was followed by trips to Rio de Janeiro and Motegi before the championship headed to Phillip Island, where the Australian Grand Prix staged the closing round on October 29.
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2001 – One last year before MotoGP era
The pattern continued in 2001, the final season before the introduction of the MotoGP class the following year.
Valencia hosted round 12 on September 23, with four races still remaining across Japan, Australia, Malaysia and Brazil.
The Rio Grand Prix eventually closed the campaign on November 3, but it would prove to be the last time for nearly two decades that Valencia was scheduled away from the final round.
2020 – Pandemic sends MotoGP to Portugal
It took the COVID-19 pandemic and a completely reshaped calendar to finally break Valencia’s long run as the season-ending venue.
Valencia staged two consecutive race weekends during the shortened campaign, culminating with the Valencia Grand Prix on November 15.
MotoGP then travelled to Portimao one week later for the Portuguese Grand Prix, which brought the unusual 2020 campaign to a close.
Despite not hosting the last race, Valencia was still the scene of the biggest celebration of the season as Joan Mir secured his first MotoGP world title.
2024 – Floods force finale switch to Barcelona
Valencia was supposed to close the season as usual in 2024, but circumstances far beyond racing forced MotoGP to change its plans.
Devastating floods in the region led to the cancellation of the scheduled Grand Prix, leaving organisers searching for an alternative venue.
Barcelona stepped in, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting the newly named Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona on the original November 15-17 dates in support of those affected by the floods.
