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The acquisition of the MotoGP by Liberty Media from a mere sporting fact is turning into a political case. Pending final approval by the Antitrust Authority, MEP Pascal Arimont has sent the European Commission a formal request for an investigation into the activities of the American company that already owns F1.
For the member of Belgium's Christian Social Party, there would be doubts about the legality of the U.S. group's maneuvering particularly with regard to consumer protection and fair competition. Under the magnifying glass would be its catch-all attitude.
Currently the holder of the commercial rights of the Circus until the end of 2110, as well as those of F2 and F3 hosted on the same race weekends as the top motorsport series, through its sister organization Liberty Global it has also got its hands on Formula E, a category dedicated to electric single-seaters, thus creating a monopoly.
Another aspect that Arimont says deserves attention is the sport's top management's steadfast refusal to admit the Andretti-Cadillac team into the F1 championship, which would effectively bring the number of teams on the grid to 11.
"Commercial agreements make it very difficult for new teams to enter F1, possibly restricting competition in an illegal way," is his complaint accompanied by confirmation of a lawsuit raised in parallel in the United States.
This is not the first time motorsport has become a topic of public debate. In 1997 it was Bernie Ecclestone who was accused of monopoly, while in 2006 CVC Capital was given the okay to buy F1, but only after the sale of MotoGP which then passed to Bridgepoint.
