Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta says it is negotiating a new five-year deal which would see KTM stay in MotoGP until at least 2031.

There have been great concerns over KTM’s future in the championship following its financial crisis which has unfolded over the last few months.

Last month it won vote with creditors which saw its restructuring plan approved, with the Austrian manufacturer set to pay off only 30% of its €2.2 billion debts.

In December, a creditors hearing concluded with KTM’s exit from MotoGP “planned” under cost-saving measures, but Motorsports Director Pit Beirer said during the brand’s 2025 MotoGP launch that it was already planning its 2027 engine. 

However, the manufacturer is in negotiations with Dorna to extend its stay in the MotoGP championship beyond its current contract, which ends in 2026.

“I’m worried, because I don’t like a team to be in this situation,” Ezpeleta told motosprint.it.

“At the same time, I’m not worried about the racing sector and the brand’s participation in the world championship, this absolutely not.

“On the contrary, we are negotiating right now with the KTM Group for the renewal of the agreement that will run from 2027 to 2031.”

Other manufacturers have also expressed support for KTM amidst its financial problems, with Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola saying MotoGP has to learn from the Austrian marque’s situation and bring the costs of the championship under control.

‘The Japanese manufacturers will be closer’: Ezpeleta on MotoGP concessions

Ezpeleta also referenced the current concession system aimed at boosting the struggling Honda and Yamaha back to the front of the grid.

Both manufacturers had a promising start to the season at the Thai Grand Prix, and while Ezpeleta doesn’t believe the Japanese brands be ahead of Ducati by the end of this season, he suggests they “will be closer”.

“Yes, even if there is still a while to go,” Ezpeleta said.

“More to Honda than to Yamaha. But I’m sure that at the end of this year they won’t be in front, because Ducati and Aprilia are very strong and KTM is also at a high level.

“But the Japanese manufacturers will be closer.”

READ MORE – KTM compares Pedro Acosta’s MotoGP approach to seven-time Formula 1 champion

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The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has signed a new deal with Dorna to remain on the MotoGP calendar until 2031.

Since its debut in 1992, Barcelona has hosted 34 Grands Prix and has the third-most consecutive seasons hosting MotoGP on the current calendar.

“We’re very happy to pen this new agreement with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in a statement.

“They never fail to deliver a world-class fan weekend, we always have impressive attendance figures, and the track is so well connected to Barcelona, one of the world’s most culturally relevant cities. This is a winning combination for us and we’re excited to continue racing there.”

“We celebrate this deal, which strengthens Catalonia’s connection to motor racing, particularly the Grand Prix, which has been held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1992, over 30 years ago,” said Miquel Sàmper, Minister of Business and Labour of the Government of Catalonia and president of the Circuit de Barcelona–Catalunya.

“Securing the MotoGP Grand Prix until 2031 is excellent news for Catalonia’s reputation as a host of premier international sporting events.

“In an increasingly internationalized and competitive environment, Catalonia’s ability to maintain a circuit in such a stable manner is an achievement to be proud of.”

Pau Relat, President of Fira de Barcelona and Fira Circuit added: “The extension of the contract until 2031 is excellent news for the Circuit. We are very pleased to continue hosting the premier motorcycle racing championship, which has been linked to the Catalan track since 1992 and has an enormous worldwide impact.

“At Fira Circuit, we are committed to collaborating with the institutions, Dorna, and the entire MotoGP community to ensure that the Grand Prix consistently meets the highest standards and becomes, year after year, an unforgettable experience for fans and members of the championship.”

READ MORE – MotoGP announces return to Brazil from 2026 onwards

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The European Union has launched an investigation into Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP, prompting delays before a confirmed takeover.

Liberty Media revealed earlier this year that it had agreed to purchase an 86% majority ownership of Dorna Sports, which holds the rights to the MotoGP and WorldSBK championships.

There are concerns that a possible takeover could result in a monopoly due to Liberty’s well-established ownership of the racing series Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3.

The EU Commission believes the American company’s possible takeover could increase consumer prices.

This investigation stalls any possible finalisation of the takeover for another 90 working days, meaning that the earliest sale opportunity could be delayed until May 2025.

Teresa Ribera will be leading the investigation, as she is the current vice president of the Commission and the Spanish government.

The European Commission’s statement

“The Commission will now carry out an in-depth investigation into the effects of the proposed transaction to determine whether its initial competition concerns are confirmed,” the statement read.

“During its in-depth investigation, the Commission will also further investigate whether Liberty Media’s and Liberty Global’s largest shareholder, Mr. John Malone, is able to exert decisive influence over both companies.

“If confirmed, the transaction could also give rise to concerns that Liberty Media may foreclose rival broadcasters in countries in which Liberty Global is active, namely in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.

“The proposed transaction was notified to the Commission on 14 November 2024. The Commission now has 90 working days, until 14 May 2025, to take a decision.

“The opening of an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.”

Dorna believe the sale will still be approved

Spanish promoter Dorna has responded with a statement of its own.

“Liberty Media today received notice from the European Commission opening a Phase II investigation into its previously announced acquisition of MotoGP,” it read. 

“We are confident this transaction will benefit MotoGP’s business, fans, viewers and the broader motorcycle industry. Market participants have widely recognized the benefits of the transaction. 

“There is a very large and growing market for audiovisual entertainment well beyond sports, and this transaction will enhance MotoGP’s ability to compete in this highly competitive market. 

“We will continue to work with the European Commission as they progress their review and have agreed with the sellers to an extension of the longstop date to June 30, 2025 in order to accommodate the more in-depth investigation.

“We believe that the European Commission will conclude that the transaction should be approved.”

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Dorna’s Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta has revealed the one condition that must be met by any manufacturer wishing to join MotoGP in the future.

German marque BMW has previously expressed an interest in entering the premier class, an interest that has heightened following its decision to acquire Suzuki data.

The prospect of BMW joining has been rumoured for a possible 2027 entry, ahead of one of the most significant regulation changes in MotoGP’s history.

“I think that the championship is in an incredible moment sportingly,” Dorna sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta told Relevo.

“With more factories it would be better, maybe yes.

“Maybe we don’t know, it depends on the performance, the investment, the promotion that that brand does.

“What we are clear about is that the door is open, but it has to be with an agreement with the existing teams because our goal is not to exceed the number of 22 riders and not to exceed the number of 11 teams.

“We have 11 teams, they all have a value and if someone wants to enter they will have to reach an agreement with one of those teams.

“What we have tried to do is to establish a technical regulation so that a new factory can enter, let’s say, a reasonable investment and that it will later have an effect on its business, which is what we are trying to do.”

Suzuki boss shows interest in MotoGP return

Another manufacturer that has confirmed its interest in a possible MotoGP return is Japanese manufacturer Suzuki.

Suzuki decided to quit the sport at the end of the 2022 season, but stated that a return to the series would only occur when the company is comfortable with its product line of road bikes.

“The MotoGP victories were obviously very important for us,” Toshihiro Suzuki told Corriere dello Sport.

“But it’s no use to us if we don’t have a complete and varied range of models for all motorcycle enthusiasts. And I don’t think we’re in that situation at the moment.

“It is important that we quickly offer a complete product range that satisfies today’s riders. If everything goes well, we will then return to racing – and win again.”

These quotes arrived after the true extent of KTM’s financial situation was revealed, as the manufacturer’s long-term MotoGP plan has yet to be shown beyond 2025.

Despite not ruling out a possible return, the repercussions leave Suzuki in a challenging situation, given Dorna’s adamant desire to maintain a grid of 11 teams.

READ MORE – Liberty Media’s $4bn MotoGP deal faces EU investigation

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Much of the talk following Liberty Media’s announcement that it is poised to acquire MotoGP parent company Dorna Sports has been about what it will do with Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Still, the American enterprise shouldn’t forget its other new hot property – World Superbikes.

World Superbikes, also under the purview of Dorna is naturally lesser in terms of its commercial and global footprint compared to big brother MotoGP, but arguably offers a greater racing product for Liberty to inject a new lease of life into.

The 2024 season, just three rounds in has already set out to be one of World Superbikes’ best yet. A rookie had never won on debut before heading into this year’s campaign. That’s now happened twice. Nicolo Bulega, fresh from his 2023 World Supersport title success roared to victory aboard the factory Ducati Panigale in the season-opener and Danilo Petrucci understudy Nicholas Spinelli shocked the paddock by winning Race 1 at Assen thanks to a wet-weather tyre gamble and fortuitously timed Red Flag.

Throwing a pegged-back Alvaro Bautista into the mix with added ballast and Toprak Razgatlioglu winning races aboard a much-improved BMW means fans are being treated to an intriguing title fight. Moreover, without the plethora of aero and ride height devices, World Superbikes has a greater propensity for closer racing than MotoGP.

So what needs fixing when Liberty Media come in?

The large and perhaps even overwhelming elephant in the room when it comes to World Superbikes is that it is a World Championship almost only by name. The relatively small 2024 calendar, featuring just 12 events, has just one round hosted outside of Europe. That was the season-opener at the glorious Phillip Island in Australia and one of the remaining nine rounds, a new circuit in Hungary, is reportedly in jeopardy of not being ready in time to host this season.

This issue has come about due to difficulties sustained throughout the covid pandemic and World Superbikes’ position as a testbed for future MotoGP rounds. Thailand and Indonesia debuted on the Superbikes calendar before being struck from the schedule once up and running in MotoGP. There’s no reason why these venues shouldn’t return to the schedule given that both regions have a massive motorcycle culture. Two-wheeled mobility is a huge facet of South East Asian culture and World Superbikes should be tapping into that market.

On the other side of the globe, Liberty has made no secret it will seek out growing MotoGP’s presence in the United States of America as soon as it can play with its new toy. Again, World Superbikes should be following suit.

The other challenge facing World Superbikes is ensuring it remains relevant in a fractured media landscape. The Superbike market is dwindling with the likes of adventure bikes, cruisers and scramblers becoming a more profitable asset for manufacturers. That’s why the Panigale is a super expensive, exclusive road machine – made for the elite and to pass Superbikes’ homologation rules but paving the way for Ducati to market its brand by winning championships to sell its more mainstream models in equally mainstream numbers.

It’s also why Kawasaki has made the bizarre move to pull out of factory competition at the end of this year, handing over the keys to Italian brand Bimota to run a superbike with a ZX-10RR engine. Yamaha too has made the move to only offer the R1 in Europe to track customers from 2025 onwards.

The adage of win on Sunday, sell on Monday no longer applies. World Superbikes needs to sell itself and its competitors as a brand. Communicating personalities and storylines to the wider public is key in making a success of this. Liberty excels in this area and World Superbikes has plenty of narratives and personalities to sell from the record-breaking Bautista to the legendary Jonathan Rea and superstar Razgatlioglu.

So as the eyes of the motorsport world are on Liberty and MotoGP, spare a thought for World Superbikes, an extraordinary series that is ripe for making just as big a global impact as its prototype counterpart. All the ingredients are there, they just need a catalytic nudge in a stratospheric direction.

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“Welcome to the future of MotoGP,” reads the start of the series’ statement on the new 2027 regulations, which were confirmed on Monday – but despite there being sweeping changes, there’s one crucial element that is missing: tyres.

The goals of the 2027 regulations are relatively simple, slow the bikes down, improve racing and The Grand Prix Commission, comprised of members from the FIM, IRTA and Dorna, has made significant steps to do so.

The biggest change will be the reduction in engine capacity from 1000cc to 850cc, a necessary step to slow down the current MotoGP missiles that are becoming increasingly dangerous on classic circuits.

The maximum cylinder bore will also be reduced from 81mm to 75mm and the engines (limited to six per year in the new regs) will remain four-cylinder, four-stroke designs and a reduced number of gear ratios (down to 16) will also work to limit the power of the bikes.

As well as this, ride height devices will be banned. Rejoice!

Ride height mechanisms are one of the key contributors to stifling the amazing racing MotoGP fans have become accustomed to and their removal means bikes shouldn’t be slingshotting quite so far out of the corners.

Again, this is a positive step in terms of safety.

Aerodynamic development has become another big part of MotoGP design and this is also being restrained for 2027.

Per the FIM’s press release; “The maximum permitted width of the high portion of the front fairing Aero Body will reduce from 600mm to 550mm, the maximum rear end height will reduce from 1250mm to 1150mm, the foremost point of the front fairing (nose) will be moved back by 50mm, and the rearward taper of the front fairing aero appendices will also narrow.”

In addition, the rearward aero bodywork must now be part of the bike’s homologated design, meaning manufacturers will have to set in stone any aero device behind the rider at the start of the 2027 campaign and will have just one update to change it throughout the season.

Other changes include a weight reduction to 153kg, a reduced fuel capacity to 20 litres per race (11 litres per sprint) and the bikes will run on 100% sustainable fuel.

The new concessions system will continue into 2027, with any new manufacturer placed into the D ranking to give them maximum opportunity to be competitive.

Existing manufacturers as of 2026 will start off 2027 in the B ranking.

Despite these changes being positive in terms of road relevance, eco-friendliness and performance reduction – the absence of tyre construction leaves a lot of room for further improvement.

It’s seldom that a rider falls of a MotoGP bike when it is hurtling down a straight and bolt upright, the issue comes in the corners and reducing cornering speed is the quickest and safety way to reduce the dangers for the riders.

A power reduction through smaller engine displacement is a start, but the old 800cc formula MotoGP machines were corner specialists, making up for any lost time on the straights and setting lap records in the process.

Lightning can’t strike twice if MotoGP wants to get safer.

The old adage in all motorsports is you can only go as fast as the tyres let you.

Take British Superbikes for example. BSB Race Director Stuart Higgs and his team have removed the slickest option of Pirelli rubber for the 2024 season, limiting the grip on offer to riders to ensure speeds are reduced, meaning accidents won’t come with as high a risk.

“We don’t need to go any faster, so we’re peeling it back a bit,” Higgs told MotorSport Magazine.

“The critical thing is the tyres. We don’t need banzai tyres for laps, we need something that’s predictable and durable.

“We’ve got to peel things back, we’re not chasing lap records.”

Higgs is right and BSB has always had its finger on the pulse when it comes to great racing and if it can be done safely, then why not?

MotoGP needs to take this route as well, otherwise the changes it’s making for 2027 could prove inconsequential.

Predictable, manageable tyres that limit riders from doing themselves harm.

That is and will remain the best way to make MotoGP safer.

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Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP earlier this week has signified a new era for two-wheeled racing as it hopes to “accelerate MotoGP growth” via a six-part blueprint.

On Monday when announcing the purchase, Liberty Media and Dorna reiterated that growth and expansion were the priority for MotoGP.

A slideshow presentation released by Liberty stated that MotoGP has a “significant opportunity to grow, especially in underpenetrated markets.”

The presentation also introduced a six-pronged plan to “accelerate” growth for the two-wheeled Grand Prix racing starting by leveraging “Liberty’s ability to scale leading global sports assets.”

Other facets of the plan included expanding in “Key growth markets” including the U.S., “amplifying marketing support and storytelling capabilities” and broadening the sport’s “reach and appeal to drive competition and boost commercial partnerships.”

As well as this, Liberty will look to “expose [the] sport to [a] wider fanbase and fuel value of entire ecosystem,” as well as improving the “hospitality and fan experience.”

Arguably, Liberty’s tried and tested model is Formula 1, a series that was shy to digital media, commercialisation and expanding into new markets and fan bases before it was acquired by its current owners in 2017.

MotoGP has tentatively taken steps in this direction, but the onus is now on Liberty to apply its blueprint to attain successful results with its new two-wheeled acquisition.

Liberty Media CEO and President Greg Maffei said in Monday’s press announcement that, “Carmelo [Ezpelrta] and his management team have built a great sporting spectacle that we can expand to a wider global audience.

“We intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners and our shareholders.”

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta added that in regards to Liberty Media, the MotoGP parent company “Could not wish for a better partner to expand MotoGP’s fanbase around the world.”

Liberty Media referenced MotoGP’s existing fanbase within its presentation, revealing findings from a 2022 Global MotoGP Fan Survey, gaining valuable insights on fan demographics and behaviour.

The survey revealed that MotoGP has a “Highly engaged and loyal fanbase” with “92% [of] fans identifying as ‘avid’ followers, meanwhile, 82% have followed the sport for 6+ years and watch over 75% of all the races.”

It also discovered a disparity between ‘new’ and ‘old’ fan behaviour, citing that “heritage fans support multiple teams and riders,” whereas as fans under the age of 24 are “more likely to follow a specific rider.”

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Dorna Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta has said that a joint weekend of F1 and MotoGP action “is not in the immediate plans” following Liberty Media’s acquisition of the MotoGP parent company.

Formula 1 owner Liberty Media confirmed its majority acquisition of Dorna Sports, parent company to MotoGP and World Superbikes, on Monday.

Now that Liberty Media has acquired MotoGP, the potential to have both the pinnacle of four and two-wheeled racing in one weekend could be on the cards.

However, Ezpeleta told Motorsport.com’s Spanish MotoGP Podcast that a combined race weekend between the two series is “something that at the moment, for obvious reasons, is not in the immediate plans.”

“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.

“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.

“Then you also have problems with the different sponsors, the TV cameras, so it is a project, or it would be a rather complicated project, let’s say.

“Then again, there are a number of circuits that can run both [series], but there are not so many, so it is a project that is not discarded, but we are not working on it either.”

MotoGP and Formula 1 sharing a race weekend would likely incur several logistical difficulties and Ezpeleta has ruled out chances of MotoGP and World Superbikes hosting a shared event for largely similar reasons.

Ezpeleta revealed that the financial aspect of hosting joint-race weekends would cause more harm than good for the company, highlighting that Liberty Media and Dorna could potentially miss out on money due to race venues having maximum attendance for one weekend.

Ezpeleta believes that both MotoGP and World Superbikes could attract similar numbers on separate weekends.

“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 said.

“Clearly it would make exposure to Superbike more relevant, MotoGP I think would have little to do there.

“There is quite an important crossover of fans and I don’t know if the people who go to Montmelo for Superbikes… I think they also go to MotoGP.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense with both together because you are not going to attract more people and you have to pay for both things, Superbike and MotoGP, so it doesn’t make much sense at the moment.”

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Formula 1 owner Liberty Media has finalised its purchase of MotoGP parent company Dorna Sports, an announcement confirmed Monday.

The $4 billion deal to acquire Dorna Sports gives Liberty commercial control over MotoGP and World Superbikes

Liberty will take 86% of the shares of the Spanish company, with the remaining 14% remaining with MotoGP management.

Previously, 40% was owned by Bridgepoint – the Canadian fund that acquired its stake in 2006 from CVC Capital Partners – and 38% by the Canadian pension fund (CPPIB). The remaining 22% was divided between various Dorna executives, with Carmelo Ezpeleta (10%), the CEO, as the leading figure.

The new agreement will see Dorna remain an independently run company under the Liberty banner with Ezpelata remaining CEO and operations continuing to be based out of Madrid, Spain.

Earlier reports hinted that the intention was to make the agreement official before the first race of the 2024 season in Qatar, but due to concerns about the intervention of the European Commission, the body that regulates the competition market, plans were slowed.

The Financial Times suggested when rumours were circulating that a deal could face regulatory scrutiny.

Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners once owned both F1 and MotoGP and was subsequently forced to sell the motorcycle series in 2006 as a condition of buying F1 after EU competition regulators raised concerns.

In 2022, Dorna Sports generated a turnover of €474.8 million, an increase of 33% over the previous year, although the year ended with a loss of €7.8m, as a result of the impact of the pandemic. (Source: Autosport)

At the beginning of 2022, the Madrid-based company refinanced €975m of debt, a resource that allowed it to strengthen its liquidity, and also to distribute dividends worth €390m to its shareholders.

“We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO, said in a statement.

“MotoGP is a global league with a loyal, enthusiastic fan base, captivating racing and a highly cash flow generative financial profile.

“Carmelo and his management team have built a great sporting spectacle that we can expand to a wider global audience.

“The business has significant upside, and we intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners and our shareholders.”

“This is the perfect next step in the evolution of MotoGP, and we are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans,” Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, added.

“We are proud of the global sport we’ve grown, and this transaction is a testament to the value of the sport today and its growth potential.

“Liberty has an incredible track record in developing sports assets and we could not wish for a better partner to expand MotoGP’s fanbase around the world.”

With Liberty Media proving their worth as Formula 1 owners by making the pinnacle of four-wheeled racing profitable, the business model of MotoGP, WorldSBK and MotoE would seek to replicate that.

Liberty’s tenure as F1 proprietor began in 2017 and the sport has grown in popularity since and the value of the team’s within it has grown in tandem.

There is no doubt that Liberty will want to replicate its success from its Formula 1 venture with its new two-wheeled racing product.

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Formula 1 owner Liberty Media are in talks to buy Madrid-based company Dorna Sports in what appears to be a €4bn deal, according to reports.

Autosport understands that the deal could be announced in the lead-up to the third round of the 2024 MotoGP season, where the series travels to the Circuit of the Americas.

Dorna Sports also promotes World Superbikes and the MotoE World Championship.

Autosport were informed that the intention was to make it official before the first race of the 2024 season in Qatar, but due to concerns about the intervention of the European Commission, the body that regulates the competition market froze the move altogether.

The Financial Times suggest that any deal, however, is likely to face regulatory scrutiny. Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners once owned both F1 and MotoGP but was forced to sell the motorcycle series in 2006 as a condition of buying F1 after EU competition regulators raised concerns.

In 2022, Dorna Sports generated a turnover of €474.8 million, an increase of 33% over the previous year, although the year ended with a loss of €7.8m, as a result of the impact of the pandemic. (Source: Autosport)

At the beginning of 2022, the Madrid-based company refinanced €975m of debt, a resource that allowed it to strengthen its liquidity, and also to distribute dividends worth €390m to its shareholders.

With Liberty Media proving their worth as Formula 1 owners by making the pinnacle of four wheeled racing profitable, the business model of MotoGP, WorldSBK and MotoE would be similar. It revolves around broadcast rights, fees from racing circuits, sponsorship, corporate hospitality and merchandising.

There is no doubt that Liberty Media will want to replicate its success from its Formula 1 venture and it will be interesting to see where it can take two-wheeled racing.

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