Liberty Media is on the verge of acquiring Dorna Sports, adding MotoGP to the Formula 1 it acquired in 2017. If the deal goes through, significant changes could occur in motorcycle racing’s premier class, much like what happened in its car racing counterpart.
One potential change could be Americanization, as Giacomo Agostini admitted to La Gazzetta dello Sport, quoted in Motosan.es: ‘It is very likely that we will see actors, celebrities, champions from other sports. It’s really good, it’s fantastic, they know how to exploit this aspect very well without losing sight of the focal point, which is the race, the sport’
The 15-time world champion believes that Liberty Media’s entry could mean growth for MotoGP, similar to what has happened with F1 over the past seven years: ‘F1 is in a golden moment, and since we are not inferior in terms of spectacle, but I think our races are even more exciting, I believe there is a lot of room for growth’.
However, new ownership may lead to leadership changes, potentially with the departure of Dorna’s CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, who has been an essential figure in MotoGP. Agostini commented: ‘I regret for Ezpeleta, who has done a lot for motorcycling and has always been close to the teams and helped those who had problems’.