Motorsports Could Be Introduced as an Olympic Event at the Los Angeles 2028 Games

For most of us, motorsports are all about the thrill and excitement of racing against worthy competitors, along with the roaring of engines and the smell of burnt rubber in the air. Although popular around the world, it is only now being considered by the Olympic Committee to be included as an official sport at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Motorsports at the Olympics? It’s Possible

Because motorsports can range from Formula 1 racing, NASCAR, MotoGP, Motocross, and more, the exact racing type is yet to be determined. However, many believe that electric karting will be the discipline to make its debut.

New sports are always under consideration to be inducted as a category in the Olympic games. Aside from motorsport, there is also lacrosse, karate, kickboxing, squash, cricket, and flag football as potential games for the 2028 Olympics. According to Reuters, the new official games are expected to be announced in the Fall of 2023.

The Paris 2024 games have already announced some of the newer sports to be held, like breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. The last three were also featured as new sports during the 2020 games in Toyko.

How Likely Is It That Motorsports Will Be Chosen?

Whether motorsport will make the cut as an official Olympic event is anyone’s guess, as some of the other newer sports like baseball, karate, and cricket also have large, dedicated fanbases around the world. However, electric go-karting was featured as a demonstration event during the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since then it has been strongly supported by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) to be declared as an Olympic sport.

While the introduction of motorsports into the Olympics would certainly be a different change of pace for many viewers, it wouldn’t be the first time a car helped take home the gold. At the 1900 Paris Games, race cars were featured in an event of their own, and even sim racing was introduced as a virtual event at the 2020 Toyko Games.

Whenever a new sport is introduced into the Olympic games, it is guaranteed to be included for one cycle before the next games are announced four years later. But should the committee vote to include motorsports at the 2028 games, it may inspire more young athletes to get behind the wheel. Perhaps we’ll see more emerging Gran Turismo stars in the future.