Last April, Liberty Media Corporation, the company that owns the commercial rights to Formula 1, agreed to acquire Dorna Sports, S.L., the exclusive owner of the commercial rights to the MotoGP World Championship. There had been rumors about this, but with the official announcement, the details of the acquisition emerged.
Liberty Media announced the agreement to purchase approximately 86 percent of Dorna from Bridgepoint and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments). The deal valued Dorna at an enterprise value of 4.2 billion euros and an equity value of 3.5 billion euros. At the same time, it was clarified that Dorna's management would retain approximately 14 percent of the capital.
The significance of this is that Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1994, should continue to manage the company from Madrid, maintaining the existing leadership and operational structure even after the acquisition.
As is known , the acquisition process had to undergo regulatory scrutiny, with the European Commission launching an in-depth investigation into the transaction due to concerns about competition in the granting of broadcasting rights for motorsports content. This is the so-called Phase II. The deadline for finalizing the acquisition was extended to June 30, 2025, to take into account this investigation.
Liberty Media's acquisition of Dorna is seen as an opportunity for MotoGP to expand its global reach and fan base by leveraging Liberty Media's experience in growing the popularity of Formula 1. However, both entities have emphasized that MotoGP will remain independently managed within Liberty Media's Formula One Group tracking stock, indicating that there are no immediate plans for a fundamental change in the structure or operations of this sport.
There is a mixture of optimism and caution among fans and insiders. Some hope that Liberty Media will bring new marketing strategies and increase the number of spectators, as it did with F1, while others are wary of potential changes that could alter the character of MotoGP.
This acquisition represents a significant expansion for Liberty Media in the motorsport sector, potentially bringing new resources and strategies to MotoGP, although the full implications will develop over time as regulatory processes conclude and the integration strategy becomes clear.
The point is, when will it happen? It's true, there is a date, but the fact that the final decision on whether or not to approve the acquisition has been postponed by six months, until June 30, 2025, means it is unclear whether the deal will go through. The outcome of the European Commission's investigation is crucial in determining the future of MotoGP.
So what should we expect for the future?
In the coming months, attention will be focussed on the outcome of the European Commission's investigation. with three possible scenarios:
- Approval with modifications: The acquisition could be approved, but with the imposition of certain conditions by the European Commission to ensure fair competition.
- Rejection of the acquisition: The deal could be definitely blocked, with consequent repercussions on MotoGP's corporate structure.
- New agreement: The two parties could negotiate a new agreement, with changes to the initial conditions. There has often been talk of the need to separate Superbike from MotoGP, but Ezpeleta himself has denied the existence of this possibility.
What is certain, for the moment, is that the only possible changes that MotoGP will make will be due solely to Dorna and the decisions of Carmelo and Carlos Ezpeleta, who are increasingly at the center of the business. Today we know that there is already a regulatory change that has been decided, that of 2027. The new regulations will bring substantial changes to the bikes currently on the track, forcing manufacturers to completely redesign them.

Here is a summary of the main novelties:
- Smaller, less powerful engines: The displacement will be reduced from 1000cc to 850cc, resulting in a decrease in maximum power. This should promote greater balance between riders and manufacturers.
- Simplified aerodynamics: Bikes will have fewer aerodynamic appendages, with the aim of reducing the importance of the sophisticated aerodynamic packages developed by manufacturers.
- Goodbye to downforce devices: All devices that allow the bike to be lowered during acceleration phases, such as downforce devices, will be banned. This will make starts more spectacular and less dependent on technology.
- 100% sustainable fuel: MotoGP will switch to the exclusive use of non-fossil fuels, helping to reduce the environmental impact.
- Reduced tank capacity: The tank capacity will be reduced, resulting in reduced fuel consumption.
- Revised concession system: The concession system, which provides advantages to less competitive teams, will be reformed to ensure greater balance.
- Shared GPS data: GPS data from the bikes will be shared among all teams, with the aim of increasing transparency and reducing development costs.
- Reduced maximum front fairing width: The width of the upper part of the front fairing will be limited, to reduce the ground effect and improve rider visibility.
This is an opportunity for some manufacturers, such as Honda and Yamaha, a problem for others, such as KTM given its financial problems and an opportunity for any other potential competitors, such as BMW, to possibly enter the category.
The problem, as always in the racing world, is time: to start with the renewal of the category, but also just to decide to enter, it is already too late: these six months of waiting, without news, could mean a stagnation that with the current moonlight - just think of the situation of KTM - MotoGP cannot afford.