Dorna in hurry to lay foundations for growth, not monetise MotoGP

Carlos Ezpeleta’s position as sporting director of MotoGP probably doesn’t fully reflect the influence of the 35-year-old from Madrid. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering and is expected to take over the management of MotoGP from his father, Carmelo Ezpeleta, who has been the CEO of Dorna Sports since the company was founded in 1988. Dorna, now rebranded as MotoGP Sports Entertainment, was acquired last year by Liberty Media, which took over an 84% stake in the company for €3.1billion.

At 79, the principal architect of the world championship as we know it today remains heavily involved in the most crucial decisions, although he increasingly relies on Carlos, whose role is growing within the decision-making structure regarding the championship.

Ten days ago, MotoGP sent a message to the world about what it is capable of during the launch of the 2026 season, which took place at the foot of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers in the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

The show, which faced challenges – although rain didn’t stop fans from being amazed by the bikes that had been testing at Sepang a couple of days earlier – was a demonstration of the power of a championship that Dorna, with the backing and finances of Liberty, aims to take to every house worldwide. “That is our ultimate goal. We know it’s impossible, but we’re working toward it,” Carlos Ezpeleta said from his room at the Four Seasons hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Until Liberty completed the deal in July last year, Bridgepoint and the Canadian pension fund (CPPIB), who held the majority stake, had limited their involvement in MotoGP to primarily financial matters.

“The strategic difference is very noticeable, between what a financial fund might do – which is much more short-term focused on economic returns, say within one to three years – and one that makes longer-term decisions,” the Spaniard explained, summarising the promoter’s approach in a phrase that perfectly encapsulates this philosophy: “We are in a hurry to lay the foundations for MotoGP’s long-term growth; we are not in a hurry to monetise the sport.”

Despite Liberty’s takeover of MotoGP, the presence of the new ‘bosses’ in the paddock has been relatively rare. Neither Chase Carey nor Sean Bratches, both members of the championship’s board, have been seen regularly, although Derek Chang, president and CEO of the American entertainment company, has made several appearances.

Chang, who attended a few races at the end of last season including Marc Marquez’s coronation in Japan, has conducted a series of interviews this winter with key individuals inside Dorna’s structure in Madrid to get a first-hand understanding of the company’s day-to-day operations.

In Ezpeleta’s view, having such an experienced team like Liberty’s, particularly after its success in the explosion of Formula 1, is almost like a gift.

“The growth data is very positive, we saw that at the end of last year. But being able to count on Sean Bratches, Chase Carey, and Derek Chang in the decision-making process, with all their expertise, is very valuable,” highlighted the top sporting official of the championship.

Ezpeleta is still determined to grow a brand that, according to him, still doesn’t do justice to the spectacle it provides: “What’s the focus right now? The brand, the brand, and the brand. Growing it to have more followers worldwide, to increase its reach. We’re implementing a strategic shift to achieve this. We’re doing things differently, like this launch in Kuala Lumpur, which we premiered last year in Bangkok.”

Another tool to reinforce the brand identity and intensify the sense of belonging is MotoGP Forward. This is a day of talks that will be held this Tuesday in Barcelona, to which all teams and sponsors involved in the championship are invited.

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– The Autosport.com Team