It's starting to show at Misano: Liberty Media is imposing its influence, and Marc Marquez is exploding in the face of new obligations. The Liberty Media era in MotoGP is taking an increasingly concrete turn. After the acquisition of 84% of Dorna, the championship promoter, the first visible changes are happening at Misano... and the riders aren't happy about it.
From this Sunday, MotoGP riders will be required to be at the front of the grid nine minutes before the start to listen to the national anthem of the host countryOfficially dubbed the "Opening Ceremony," this new event begins at exactly 13:51 p.m., the very moment when the pilots usually enter their famous concentration "tunnel."
An annoying timing: at this moment, the final adjustments are being made, strategies are being reviewed according to the weather, and the tension is already at its peak in the boxes.
Unsurprisingly, the first to raise his voice was Marc Marquez, championship leader and key figure in the paddock. Interviewed at a press conference on Friday, the Spaniard paused… before dropping a bombshell: “ They always ask us for more. At some point, all this is going to explode »
Marc Marquez: a head-on confrontation with Liberty Media
The pilot Ducati refers here to the accumulation of extra-sporting obligations which already weigh down weekends:
- Games and content for social networks;
- Q&A sessions imposed on Thursdays on the sidelines of press conferences;
- Shortened warm-up on Sunday morning;
- Parade of drivers in cars around the circuit;
- Fan walk with autographs and selfies just before the race.
This rant from Misano is not isolated. Marquez had already shown his teeth just after the announcement of the acquisition by Liberty Media. When asked if he was ready to invest more off the track, he had slammed a categorical “no”: “ I'm a MotoGP rider by profession. I already have commitments with the team that I have to respect. »
The warning is clear: if Liberty Medium wants to transform MotoGP into an F1-style spectacle, Marquez – and probably other drivers – won't let themselves be walked over.
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