Formula 1 and MotoGP could come together at the Circuit of the Americas in 2026, with a special demonstration event being considered for the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin. The initiative would bring machinery from the leading categories of four-wheel and two-wheel motorsport onto the same programme, although the two championships would not both stage races.
According to a report by Motorsport.com, Liberty Media is working on the possibility of supporting a MotoGP-related event during Formula 1’s visit to Texas from October 23 to 25. The Austin round forms part of the 2026 Formula 1 calendar and could provide a high-profile platform for promoting MotoGP to a wider American audience.
F1 and MotoGP Austin event could feature demonstration laps
The proposed programme would reportedly involve MotoGP prototypes completing demonstration laps at different points across the Formula 1 weekend. The motorcycles could come from either the current MotoGP season or the previous campaign, depending on availability and the final arrangements agreed by the organisers and teams.
Rather than adding a competitive motorcycle race to the weekend, the objective would be to introduce Formula 1 spectators to MotoGP machinery and create a visible connection between the two championships. Austin is a natural location for such an experiment because COTA has hosted MotoGP since 2013 and has become an established part of Formula 1’s presence in the United States.
The Texas venue already plays an important role in the championship’s American strategy, with COTA officials also indicating their willingness to support Formula 1 if calendar disruption requires another race. Its experience of organising events for both championships therefore makes it a logical setting for a crossover initiative.
Phillip Island clash complicates the MotoGP rider line-up
One major obstacle concerns the availability of MotoGP’s regular competitors. The Australian motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island is scheduled for the same weekend as Formula 1’s Austin event, meaning the official team riders are expected to be competing in Australia.
Their involvement in Texas consequently appears unlikely, although the identity of the riders who would participate has not yet been settled. One alternative under consideration would be to invite former riders or other figures with historical importance to individual MotoGP manufacturers and teams.
The MotoGP teams have already been informed about the opportunity and are understood to be supportive of organising the demonstration. Important details, including which motorcycles would be used, who would ride them and how frequently they would appear on track, still need to be finalised.
Why the Austin event could matter for F1 and MotoGP
The proposal would stop well short of staging Formula 1 and MotoGP Grands Prix at the same circuit on the same weekend. Nevertheless, it could represent an initial step towards closer collaboration between the two championships under Liberty Media.
Austin offers a particularly suitable audience for that approach. Formula 1 has expanded rapidly in the United States, while COTA remains one of the country’s most recognisable international motorsport venues. The circuit’s established United States Grand Prix weekend would give MotoGP an opportunity to present its motorcycles to spectators who may not regularly follow two-wheel racing.
For now, the crossover remains a reported proposal rather than a confirmed addition to the Austin schedule. If approved, however, the demonstration laps would create a rare shared stage for Formula 1 and MotoGP and offer an early indication of how Liberty Media could promote the championships together without immediately combining their competitive events.
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