Let's Talk MotoGP: Here's What Liberty Media Should Import From Formula 1

A year and a half ago, I wrote my first article about Liberty Media and the American company's acquisition of the MotoGP championship. I wasn't kind to the new owners, as I believe F1 hasn't changed for the better since they took over. However, like everything else in this world, it's not all doom and gloom. Formula 1's recent global success clearly shows that good choices have been made, even from a spectator's perspective. In this article, we'll discuss an idea currently being implemented in Formula 1 that should also be implemented in MotoGP.

 

Back to the USA

 

There is one thing Liberty Media has done a great job of: getting the US crazy about Formula 1.. When you see the grandstands at the US Grand Prix and compare them to the bare stands you have at the same circuit in MotoGP, it's scary. This is a masterful feat, because the United States has never really been passionate about F1 since the championship's creation in 1950. Uncle Sam's country has always preferred Indycar (CART and its derivatives), and, of course, NASCAR.

 

 

However, choices as incomprehensible as they are ridiculous have reduced NASCAR's influence over the years. Faced with this very large untapped market, Liberty Media has done everything it can to create unprecedented enthusiasm for Formula 1 Grand Prix racing in the USA, even though no American drivers are present at the forefront. The General Motors group, through Cadillac, will make its debut next season and is riding this momentum. But how did Liberty Media go about achieving this, starting from almost nothing? Explanations in a few points.

First, there was the Netflix series Drive to Survive, published in early 2019. If we tend, from my point of view, to overestimate the impact of this program, we have to admit that it was the spark. All of this was – and remains – very Americanized, typically designed to appeal to audiences across the Atlantic, with all the flaws that entails.

Second, and this is something many people underestimate: there has been a radical change in communications policy. In the Ecclestone era, there were virtually no on-board cameras, no behind-the-scenes videos, no original content. Since then, F1 has adopted that typically American approach—common for decades in basketball and American football—of putting the spectator at the center of the show. This, of course, involved increasing visibility on social media. Today, it is extremely easy to binge on Formula 1, and I know that DORNA is currently working on this.

Third, and lastly, Liberty Media made F1 'cool'. In the 2000s, when we said we followed F1 or MotoGP, people looked at us a bit strangely.. Now, being passionate about Formula 1 has become cool and trendy. However, other people's opinions about MotoGP have not changed, and despite its very decent numbers, it remains a niche sport – I'm sorry to say. Even in France, how many people know Fabio Quartararo? How many know what he looks like? But then, how did the Americans manage this transition? By reaching previously unattainable targets, I'm talking in particular about women under 24, the audience that needs to be won over to democratize something in the eyes of society. This global rejuvenation of the discipline has conquered the USA, and the country's influencers, who are the majority on social networks, have then persuaded Europe.

The result: we currently have three Grands Prix in the United States: one in Austin, one in Miami, and one in Las Vegas. Three huge markets that appeal primarily to young people—especially Miami, the American capital of influence since the end of the Los Angeles era. I'm not saying we should copy this model, of course, because it's quite extreme and criticized by former Formula 1 fans, precisely because the sport has never been so important there. But for us it's different, we are legitimate.

 

 

Liberty Media's biggest challenge in MotoGP

 

After this long preamble, let's get to the heart of the matter. What's wrong with MotoGP? The United States, the third most populous country in the world, is being completely ignored by DORNA. Which is crazy, it's that we were ahead of Formula 1 : Motorcycle Grand Prix racing has seen some great American champions, far more so than on four wheels. In the 1980s and 1990s, the sport was completely dominated by Uncle Sam's representatives. We naturally think of Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, John Kocinski, Pat Hennen… and so on.

In my opinion, the change took place in the late 1990s, when DORNA's policy really took effect. The sport became Spanish, to the point that a true motorcycling culture was created in the Iberian Peninsula. In 2025, Spain is not a country that weighs much on the face of the globe, but nevertheless, it largely dominates one of the most important motor sports in the world. And that's not going well at all. If you think, by any chance, that the Spanish influence is going to diminish anytime soon, let me tell you, you're sorely mistaken. Look at the nationalities of those who dominate in Moto3, and in the smaller promotional categories. I already wrote an article about it, but I think that Spain has never been so strong, even more so than at the beginning of the 2000s!

We sometimes find ourselves with drivers who don't speak English, but only Spanish. The other historical nationalities are gradually disappearing, but they are growing stronger. Where are the Italians since the VR46 team withdrew from the lower categories? Where are the French, where are the English?

This is precisely what Liberty Media must change if decision-makers want to push through the MotoGP in another dimension. MotoGP needs to be "de-nationalized", just as they did with F1, which was "too" English in the 2000s and 2010s, Fernando Alonso complained about it quite a bit. To make it global, it will be necessary to both tear out its Spanish roots and plant some seeds in the United States, a country essential for the development and popularization of a fashion.

 

 

To achieve this, we could imagine a new series—the first one on Amazon Prime didn't have the desired effect—and an increased presence on social media. More than that, we'd need to increase the number of events there, whereas in recent years, demonstrations have been more reserved for Southeast Asia. To top it all off, add at least one more American GP to the calendar, and perhaps thinking about leaving COTA which has only produced one good race in 13 years of operationThe USA is full of magnificent circuits, so what are we waiting for to balance the scales?

 

Conclusion

 

The presence of four Spanish tracks on the calendar compared to one in North America seems to me to be absolutely incompatible with the desire to develop. Whether we like it or not, we will have to touch this country in one way or another to create a fashion effect, with new targets in our sights. And for this specific point, the spectator could benefit, which is not the case with all Liberty Media decisions taken in F1 so far.

I'm curious to know what you think of this analysis. Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport