With Liberty Media taking over MotoGP, the world championship is about to enter a new media era. Formula 1, propelled to the global spotlight by the Netflix series "Drive to Survive," serves as a model. And MotoGP seems determined to replicate the formula, even if it means choosing the most controversial subject in its history.
According to information relayed by journalist Manuel Pecino on his YouTube channel, a documentary on the incident between Valentino Rossi et Marc Marquez in Sepang in 2015 is in preparation. An announcement that promises to rekindle embers that have never been completely extinguished.
Ten years ago, the 2015 World Championship saw an electric end to the season. In the midst of a title fight against his teammate Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi accused Marc Marquez to deliberately play against him to favor the Spaniard from Mallorca. The peak of this tension was reached during the Sepang Grand Prix, when Rossi would have kicked Marquez, causing the pilot to fall Honda.
Since MotoGP has never completely turned the page on this dramatic episode, even less so his supporters, torn between idolatry for Rossi and admiration for Marquez. The boos against Marquez at Mugello this season are proof of this: the Sepang affair still deeply divides the public.
Liberty Media bets on sensationalism
The choice of this subject as the first major audiovisual project of the era Liberty Medium is not trivial. The American group has built a large part of F1's success on drama and the staging of rivalries. But this choice could also prove risky. As illustrated by the Formula 1, the way a documentary shapes the narrative can unleash passions…
The choice of this subject for the first major MotoGP documentary under the Liberty Media era is anything but trivial. By tackling the most controversial moment in the championship's recent history, Liberty intends to captivate the crowds and attract a new audience, just as "Drive to Survive" did for F1.
But the risk is real: an unbalanced documentary could reignite hostilities and rekindle tensions between fans of both camps. The example of Formula 1 is telling: certain documentaries have recently led to a wave of criticism, even online harassment, against legends like Alain Prost, accused of having been unfairly portrayed in certain audiovisual productions.
In any case, this choice clearly shows the desire of Liberty Medium not to settle for a sanitized narrative. Their goal: to transform MotoGP into a global spectacle, both on the track and on screen.
It remains to be seen whether the documentary on Sepang will succeed in telling this dark story without falling into the trap of sensationalism. The war of narratives surrounding the famous “kick” is far from over.
