Charles Pernat, long-time MotoGP manager, examines DORNA's latest decisions, the decline of the spectacle and the introduction of sprint races.
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Sprint races will not be enough to revive the MotoGP spectacle, at least in the way they are currently structured, without a good marketing framework. Nor will they serve to attract more spectators to the stands. If DORNA is not capable of realizing that the era of Valentino Rossi is over and something more is needed to avoid falling into the red (we are not talking about Ducati's). With the manager Charles Pernat, we took stock of the season which ended a month ago, and took a look at the next world championship.
The prospects for MotoGP are not rosy…
« We owe a lot to DORNA, when they took us over in 1992, we were a bit of a gypsy, honestly. Some wore red pants, others yellow shirts, others green… We weren't very professional. She arrived, did a great marketing operation and, in my opinion, worked well until 2020. Then the pandemic ruined everything, the lack of spectators, the money losses were considerable, and the Bridgepoint fund puts pressure on DORNA. At that point, DORNA made instinctive decisions rather than reasoning. There were two possibilities: either take two managers like F1 did, for example a Davide Brivio and a marketing man, or take a more familiar route. She has every right to do so, but the first indications are not very positive, because instead of hiring professionals, she hired family members.
It's very dangerous, it's a world championship, certain decisions have to be made at the right time and with the right people. For example, the instinctive decision of these sprint races, without talking to the drivers or even the manufacturers, is incomprehensible. With all the problems that come with it, because if there are sprint races, there must also be bonuses for the drivers. Insurance costs a lot more… You could do like F1, do four or five and see what happens. This is a decision that, in my opinion, has no logic.
»
Is the drop in ticket sales a worrying sign? What are the reasons ?
« La
DORNA ne savait pas comment gérer la situation post-Valentino
Rossi. Après une telle époque, il fallait faire quelque chose, au
moins comprendre quel était le problème, au lieu de quoi cela a été
sous-estimé. Au Mugello, par exemple, où il y a eu un massacre de
billets, ils ont nommé Valentino “Légende du MotoGP”. Mais vous ne
le faites que pendant vingt minutes dans la salle de presse ? Il
fallait inviter tous les fans de Rossi, les laisser faire quelques
tours de piste avec une moto, organiser une parade avec les
pilotes… il faut faire autrement. Cela signifie qu’il n’y a pas de
marketing. Puis, une fois l’ère Valentino terminée, vous avez
besoin de personnages et vous devez les construire. C’est une bonne
chose qu’il y ait eu Ducati avec Pecco Bagnaia qui a apporté un peu
d’enthousiasme, les médias se sont déplacés, on parle plus de
motos. Mais ce n’est pas une façon de gérer… La DORNA doit
plafonner les prix, essayer de faire venir les gens dans le paddock
dès le jeudi, faire en sorte que les fans parlent aux pilotes.
Quand une époque se termine, si vous ne faites pas ça, vous
commettez une erreur. »
Will sprint races revitalize the MotoGP championship in terms of spectacle or will they be a fiasco?
« Sprint races are not an indicator of renewal, we could do without them, I don't see what they are for. Yes, to bring people in on Saturday. But when you do a race on Saturday, you force the pay channels that have purchased the television rights to broadcast it for free, which helps promote the Sunday race. It will be a negative sprint race, because the drivers will have to struggle to do more laps, without risking falling and not doing the other races... These are things that had to be evaluated and this is the fault of the international federation which , instead of banging his fist on the table, follows everything. »
Vous avez dû entendre la “bombe” de Jorge Viegas
concernant le passage presque inévitable de l’équipe VR46 à Yamaha
pour la saison 2024….
« It's absurd, it's pure amateurism, I don't know what to say. »
How is Enea Bastianini doing during the winter holidays?
« When you find yourself in an official team, you have achieved your goal, you can't wait to start. Already during the Valencia tests you could see that he was excited, he always dreamed of the factory Ducati, he got there thanks to his four GP victories, now he has to beat a world champion who is his teammate. In my opinion it will be a great championship, I am convinced that Enea will fight for the world championship, but that does not mean winning it. »
Perhaps the Bagnaia – Bastianini couple will be the lifeline of MotoGP…
« I hope Marquez comes back too, even if it's difficult with a Honda like this. He cannot carry the cross... There is also Yamaha with Quartararo, but Ducati has awakened the desire for motorcycles. Bagnaia will fight for the world championship once again. We need characters like in all individual sports. When you have charismatic characters, everyone rides the wave, when you don't have a charismatic character... Good night! »
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