Let's Talk MotoGP: Here's What's Likely to Change with Liberty Media

MotoGP has just been bought by Liberty Media; DORNA Sports has no longer been the majority shareholder since the beginning of July., which leaves the reins in the hands of the American company. Its name is often mentioned, but in motorcycling, it is sometimes difficult to realize what could change under the aegis of this new owner. In this article, we will make hypotheses about the possible evolution of our sport.

We already have an example of management by Liberty Media. Indeed, F1 was bought in 2017 by the same company, which now owns the rights to the two biggest motorsports on earth. For this article, I'll be looking at how Formula 1 has evolved in recent years and trying to translate those lessons into an imaginary future on two wheels.

 

 

I. Americanization

 

What struck me most, personally, was the Americanization of sport.Since the acquisition in 2017, F1 has never had such an American accent: the land of Uncle Sam has no fewer than three Grands Prix on its soil, whereas before, only Austin was on the program. Liberty Media has managed to interest Americans in a sport they had once neglected. But now, NASCAR is experiencing declines in audience and popularity, even in the southern states. F1, after the phenomenon Drive to Survive – the hit Netflix series about the behind-the-scenes of Formula 1 – has captivated the entire continent, which even pushed promoters to create new circuits as bland as possible, but located in big markets – Las Vegas and Miami.

In a sense, if it remains under control, the MotoGP would also need to be Americanized. From the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, no one was as strong as the representatives of this country. But since Nicky Hayden, no one has managed to establish himself in MotoGP for a long time, not even Ben Spies Lightning Bolt in the early 2000s. The same observation can be made in the lower categories, and inevitably, this is true in the stands: Austin is far from a full house. Watch the Formula 1 GP of the Americas and compare it to the same event in MotoGP, you will be amazed by the images from the stands.

That's why I chose this theme as my first point. It seems quite inevitable to me: Liberty Media must already be working on new ideas to excite the American public., as at the time.

 

II. Dispassionate Calendars

 

The second point goes hand in hand with the first. Liberty Media's Formula 1 sauce doesn't hesitate to cheat on tradition. Whether in communication or in the calendar, there is a sense of a desire to update a sport that was once dusty in the Ecclestone era. Thus, each year, the legitimacy of the Monaco Grand Prix is questioned, while Spa-Francorchamps will only be run every other year from 2027. Hockenheim, Zandvoort, Paul Ricard, the Nürburgring and many others? In the trash. All this for the benefit of races in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East (five GPs), the USA, as mentioned above (three GPs), and new markets. In a few years, the calendar will include, for example, the Madrid street circuit, which no one asked for.

This is one of my main fears: to see MotoGP leave its temples (Assen, Mugello, Misano, Valencia), for sexier, but totally dispassionate places. For the moment, we only have one race held in the desert, at Losail, but that could well change in a few years.

A little clarification regarding the calendar: it will probably get even longer. F1 is currently running 24 races, against 21 in 2016. Currently, we are at 22 in MotoGP, with two starts each time. We'll let you imagine how far this can go if the decision-makers decide to add a plethora of new soulless circuits, which are accompanied, of course, juicy pills.

 

 

III. A desire to promote sport

 

The final point of this article concerns the promotion of MotoGP. We are not yet at the level of Formula 1, but, clearly, some people seem absolutely determined to destroy this inferiority complex from which we have always suffered. Everyone says that MotoGP is the most spectacular sport, “even more than Formula 1” according to the new KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister. Yet, everything, absolutely everything, is copied from them: from the Sprints to the radio communications currently being tested.

So, I'm afraid Liberty Media wants to make MotoGP a Formula 1 on two wheels, if you know what I mean.. Taking everything that worked and allowed F1 to benefit from global influence, and stupidly applying it to our beloved championship, which does not have the same codes, and even less the same public.

 

Conclusion

 

Yes, indeed, There is work to be done regarding the popularization of MotoGP. But is it worth removing the Spanish and Italian accent from our paddocks? Is it worth Americanizing the sport at all costs, to the point of calling on UFC showmen to announce the arrival of the drivers on the grid? I don't think so. I just hope that Liberty Media won't use the same recipe, because believe me, F1 has been unrecognizable for several years.

I'm curious to know what you think about it, then, 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