On Monday 1 April, Liberty made headlines by announcing its acquisition of an 86% stake in Dorna Sports and MotoGP, sealing the deal at a substantial €4.2 billion.
This significant move now places both Formula 1 and MotoGP firmly within Liberty’s purview, reigniting discussions about the possibility of a joint race weekend for these two prestigious series.
In an exclusive interview with Ezpeleta following the announcement, conducted by Motorsport.com’s Spanish MotoGP podcast Por Orejas, the executive shed light on the potential of such a collaboration. Ezpeleta stated that while a joint event isn’t on the immediate agenda, it’s not entirely off the table for the future.
“Well, it’s something that at the moment, for obvious reasons, is not in the immediate plans and it’s not something that we are working on, but it’s not something that we are ruling out for the medium-term future either,” Ezpeleta expressed.
He continued, “But having said that, the reality is that it makes limited sense, because at the end of the day we have some events with our own fan base, which is a different fan base in most places to the Formula 1 fan base. They sell, they sell out in many circuits and so do we, so getting all of us together in the same event, in the same weekend, has difficulties and the return on investment is not very clear today.”
Ezpeleta pointed out logistical challenges involving sponsors and television coverage, indicating that while not entirely discarded, it remains a complex project that’s not actively being pursued.
As for the future of World Superbikes in light of the Liberty acquisition, Ezpeleta remained cautious. While plans are uncertain, he emphasized that there are currently no intentions for MotoGP and World Superbikes to share events.
“It’s something that has been talked about for a long time and the reality, being very direct, I do not know the benefit,” he explained. “Clearly it would make exposure to Superbike more relevant, MotoGP I think would have little to do there.”
Ezpeleta questioned the feasibility of attracting a larger audience by combining the two events, highlighting the financial implications without clear benefits. He suggested that the existing fan overlap might not justify the costs involved in hosting both series concurrently.
In essence, while the prospect of joint events between MotoGP and other series remains a topic of discussion, practical considerations currently outweigh the potential benefits, leaving the future of such collaborations uncertain under Liberty’s ownership.