Thoughts by Kate Adams
It appears all but inevitable: the current owners of Formula 1 have every intention of purchasing Dorna Sports (the parent company of MotoGP and WSBK), with a price tag of just €4 billion.
The news is expected to emerge this week after weeks of speculation and months of the concept being floated by shareholders. Talks, which will have been transpiring behind closed doors for just as long, are anticipated to culminate in this announcement. So, what does this signify, and who is selling?
Bridgepoint, an international alternative asset fund management group specializing in private equity, is the entity selling. For those unfamiliar with financial terminology, this indicates that they manage funds from investors seeking various investment avenues beyond traditional options like stocks and bonds. Their focus lies in overseeing investments in private companies, which are not publicly traded on stock exchanges. For the past 18 years, they have been 'owners' of MotoGP in collaboration with Dorna management and the Canadian pension fund.
What implications does this carry?
That remains the question. For us average fans, the shifting of funds at the highest level holds little interest. Instead, we are intrigued by the potential trickle-down effects. Below, I've noted my concerns and anticipations:
More freedom for content creators? I'm a passionate MotoGP fan, and every time I see an Instagram reel, a YouTube short etc. that is fan made and of great quality, I want to share it. But sometimes it's already been taken down by the time the person I've shared it with goes to view it.
Currently fan made 'trailers', podcasts including short clips (under 10 seconds), including ours and other channels, documentaries are getting DMCA removals. This limits the growth of the sport significantly, people stumble across videos like Born A Goons video on Valentino Rossi and may then tune in to watch a race. Hopefully there will be more freedom in this space.
Bad MotoGP Memes was the target of a takedown recently.
Higher ticket prices? One thing that we did see with the way Liberty Media runs F1 is the ticket prices soaring and it becoming more of an 'exclusive' club, pushing away the authentic fans.
Lower VideoPass price? Currently the price for F1TV in my region is $99nz. VideoPass is $280nz.
The loss of historic tracks? Perhaps my second largest concern. While I agree we have too many races in Europe, the idea that we could loose Assen, Sachsenring or Mugello is a worrying prospect. Races with so much history, so many classic races and wonderful atmospheres. It's something I prefer not to think about.
More money means more pay for riders & teams? In possibly a big win, the teams and riders could see a nice pay bump. Considering a lot of the MotoGP paddock are there due to passion not money, this I feel could be the biggest benefit for them.
Loosing the 'rock n roll' vibe? In March 2023 Formula 1 announced that team personal would no longer be able to climb onto pit wall as cars cross the finish line. In 2018 they got rid of grid girls/guys. One of the more fun aspects is the fact that this still is a motorsport, it still feels like the kind of sport you watch knowing full well the risks. I worry we will loose that.
What will happen to Moto2 and Moto3?
Anyone who is a fan of MotoGP and has watched a Moto3 race will tell you that it is some of the best racing they've ever seen. It's also not easy or cheap for those riders to be on the grid, in the last few years we have seen more teams pull out of Moto3 and Moto2 due to costs, on one hand having more watchers could boost these championships, on the other it could push them aside so they don't race alongside MotoGP and simply become 'feeders'. Something no fan of the sport should want. There is a reason we call Marc Marquez and 8 time world champion and Dani Pedrosa a 3 time world champion.
Only time will if we loose the 'vibe' of MotoGP, we are a niche sport, we love racing. Hopefully we get lots of positives from this change to the sport and little negatives.
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