Dorna Sports and FIM Renew MotoGP Agreement For Decades

Dorna Sports will relinquish a huge stake in MotoGP at the end of this season when Liberty Media, current owners of Formula 1, will receive 86 per cent of Dorna.

Carmelo Ezpeleta is the current CEO of Dorna and will remain in his position, with Dorna also remaining as an independently run company. Dorna will also be part of Liberty Media’s Formula 1 Group tracking stock.

But before the takeover from Liberty Media is complete, Dorna and the FIM have agreed on a new long-term deal to secure the rights to MotoGP and all Dorna-run FIM world championships.

"This is an incredibly important moment and one that provides long term clarity and security regarding the pinnacle of motorcycle sport,” said Jorge Viegas, President of the FIM. “This is not only important for all those directly involved in MotoGP, but also for the wider motorcycle racing community that reaps the benefits from the global status, value and presence of this leading series.

"The ongoing and ever closer collaboration between the FIM, Dorna Sports and the other key stakeholders is something that has been built over many years, the trust and cooperation that now exists alongside this long-term agreement offer great foundations for the future development of MotoGP plus all the related championships. 

“On behalf of the FIM, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for the work that Dorna Sports has done since 1992 and look forward with great confidence to combining our efforts to ensure the continued growth and success of MotoGP for many more years to come."

With MotoGP continuously on the rise in terms of popularity and global viewership, securing its long-term future is a move that makes sense on all fronts.

Ezpeleta added: "We’re very proud to announce this agreement with the FIM. It is fantastic news for the sport, and our fans around the world, that this partnership is guaranteed to continue. We have built something truly special and will continue to grow the sport even further, working together.

"Being able to come to such a long-term agreement adds incredible value for MotoGP. In the sports and entertainment landscape of today, the level of consensus we enjoy in MotoGP is something we’re privileged to be part of, and it lays fantastic foundations for our sport to continue its trajectory of growth. 

“We want to thank the FIM for their support and we look forward to making MotoGP even bigger and better than ever as we continue our partnership."

This could be seen as a surprising turn of events since Liberty Media is set to own MotoGP from the end of 2024. However, it's is a deal that was likely pushed as much from Dorna as it was Liberty, since the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) is the governing body for motorcycle sport.

Liberty Media, as a result of its takeover of MotoGP, will also inherit ownership of WorldSBK, although very little light has been shed on how WorldSBK fits into Liberty's plans. However, the agreement made by Dorna and the FIM to secure rights to all Dorna-run championships fits in with what Liberty Media is trying to do, thus, it seems this agreement has been made with Liberty in the know, if not involved to a larger degree capacity.

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