All eyes are on MotoGP right now. That's partly due to the insane season it just left behind, where the series broke viewership and fan attendance records at almost every stop on the calendar. And that was down to the wild title fight that occurred between the Marquez brothers, along with a host of infield drama throughout the season.
Cough, cough, Jorge Martin, cough, Valentino Rossi, cough.
But more eyes are also on MotoGP because of its new owners: Liberty Media. Yes, the folks who bought Formula 1 a decade ago and set fire to the paddock, pushing it to wild-eyed heights, have just purchased MotoGP, too. And the question on everyone's mind is, "Can lightning strike twice?"
It's a question that everyone's been asking themselves, i.e., can Liberty Media do what they did with Formula 1 and push MotoGP into the mainstream? It's a worthy question, but even the possibility of that is attractive to a host of potential benefactors, as in a recent interview with Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP's chief sporting director, his phone apparently hasn't stopped ringing with folks who want their own team, their own track, or to be a part of MotoGP in some way or another.
Maybe they don't need a Drive to Survive?
"Interest remains overwhelming," says the younger Ezpeleta—his father being Carmelo Ezpeleta, the sports' longtime Bernie Ecclestone-type leader—in an interview with our siblings over at Motorsport, adding, "And I use that word deliberately—we receive calls every single week from new individuals or funds interested in investing in MotoGP [teams or stakes in teams."
But MotoGP has some interesting requirements for new team owners, as well as returning makes to the series, as both BMW and Suzuki have expressed interest in returning to the field, only to be shooed away by the Ezpeleta's current reign. There are other avenues, however, as one easily poached grid spot remains with regard to KTM, which has new owners that haven't responded to whether or not the Austrian-Indian manufacturer will remain in the sport.
Ezpeleta then said, "There’s also a lot of interest [in new racetracks]. In this case, the calls aren’t weekly but monthly. There’s a very strong desire to associate with the MotoGP brand, and we simply don’t have enough space for all the requests we receive. With 14 races in Europe and eight outside, it’s clear where the biggest expansion potential lies. There’s significant interest in Asia, the Middle East and South America, and that will inevitably force us to make decisions regarding Europe."
That, I don't doubt. But in recent years, MotoGP's governing body has had real issues with actually getting tracks onto the calendar, as multiple have been canceled at the last moment in multiple countries. Chiefly, in both the Middle East and Asia. South America, then, feels like the easiest way forward, though I could see more races being held in North America and Canada, as Laguna Seca is still primed for action. And there's less corruption, though that's sort of changing, too.
All this interest will likely only grow as next year will be a test for the sport's new ownership. It'll be the first year it's in charge, and Liberty Media will be looking to make a splash ahead of the 2027 rules change. What that means is anyone's guess, but MotoGP is primed for world dominance just like Formula 1 was.
