For many years the option of mixing and interspersing F1 and MotoGP races has been considered. Even a while ago there was an idea in the air for them to share competition weekends. Ideas that, as you can see, never materialized.
Closer in time, only a few months ago, we began to hear the possibility that Liberty Media, owner of the exploitation rights of F1, would buy MotoGP or, rather, buy Dorna, the company that has the exploitation rights of the Motorcycle World Championship and Superbike World Championship. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, never denied the possibility that this could happen and that is what, finally, ended up happening.
As you know now F1 and Dorna will be under the same umbrella or, at least, in part. And Liberty has bought Dorna, but not all of Dorna but a majority part of around 85% of the shares that were in the hands of other companies. But the hard core of Dorna, with Carmelo at the helm, continues to maintain more or less that 15% of shares despite the fact that, by crossing statements, this could indicate that they could have gotten rid of some.
The fact is that Carmelo is going to continue at the helm, but the rumors that arrive, those that perhaps sound interested, speak of changes in the future. Not about changes within Dorna or Carmelo leaving his position, far from it, but about how the championship is going to change in some aspects to, with work and luck, try to repeat the success that Liberty has achieved by reviving F1.
But, dear cowboy, MotoGP and motorcycles are not F1 and cars. There are many projects that have underestimated a very niche world that is much more complex than it seems at first glance. The industry is different, the supports are different, the brands are different and the drivers are different.
It is clear that all these parts can be managed, adapted and managed to guide MotoGP and WSBK (hopefully) in another direction. Give it another dimension, make it reach the masses, but here things are different. And one of the things that it seems that Liberty could have in mind is to find a way to have fewer Spanish and Italian pilots.
In MotoGP, fortunately, not everything is about money
And this is where John Malone's bosses have to be very careful, because unlike F1, in MotoGP the drivers do make a difference. The bike is important, but not as important as the car is in F1. F1 drivers have to seek to be charismatic, motorcycle drivers are. And they are because they pay for every mistake with their body, as Jaime Algersuari said not long ago on Jorge Lorenzo's podcast “here you die and in F1 you don't”.
So in reality, overexposure and overacting in the “Drive to survive” style is not what is going to make MotoGP transcend. The product is spectacular, it gives F1 a thousand twists and turns, it is pure motor, pure racing even though now you have to manage the tires. But here, the guys without a “halo” and with leather overalls risk their lives with every braking, every curve.
All those who have faced the challenges of MotoGP from a car perspective have not had the success they expected, no matter how much they had triumphed. In fact, even if it is in the technical part, one of the greatest motorcyclist dominators in the history of F1 such as Cosworth passed without pain or glory, and it wasn't that long ago.
The fact is that, luckily for Liberty, this is not about making motorcycles or engines. In MotoGP there are 5 competitive engine manufacturers (the rest of the package is another matter), but products that are attractive. But you know what? MotoGP is already attractive and if it is not popular with the masses it is because, first, it is a sport, as I said before, much more niche, in a smaller industry as well. But, second and more important, it is not broadcast openly and the costs to watch it are increasingly higher.
The day this changes, MotoGP will once again sweep and surpass F1 in audiences and without the need for melodramatic blockbusters, or drivers without charisma imposing their character. And the fan doesn't care where the rider is from, because that's another thing, training riders to give their all in a MotoGP is much more difficult than training them to get to F1, because here and this is the heart of the matter. It's not all about money.
