MotoGP | Ezpeleta raises the alarm: “We will evaluate whether to do two GPs in Italy”

2022 marks the thirtieth year of Dorna’s management of the world championship, in recent years the Spanish promoter has made MotoGP one of the most coveted and followed championships in the world, second only to Formula 1. The presence of charismatic figures was also aided. all that of Valentino Rossi, who led the world championship towards glory for more. twenty-five years old. The Doctor’s era, however, ended in 2021, the nine-time world champion hung up his helmet (at least the motorcycle one) and left the baton to the riders who are now fighting for the world championship.

However, it seems that in Italy the companies of Pecco Bagnaia and Aprilia do not create attraction. Yes, because the Mugello weekend brought some disconcerting data in terms of public. If already from the images of the television and from the first glances of those present it seemed that there was no full house, with the arrival of the numbers there was confirmation. The Italian Grand Prix in 2022 was a flop. Is there a specific cause? What is the loss of interest on the part of the public in going to Mugello to watch a race live?

The restrictions of the pandemic have now fallen, the lawn has been reopened, yet the Italian Grand Prix recorded the lowest attendance figures of all the other races held so far. Carmelo Ezpeleta gave an interview to the Spanish website Motociclismo.es in which he dealt with the topic. Dorna’s CEO explained the reasons that led to a dizzying decline in the public and revealed that he had already discussed it: “This year we have not had any other disappointments besides Mugello. If we analyze the other races, in Qatar there was the same crowd as always, in Indonesia it was full, as well as in Argentina. There were even more people in the United States than in the previous edition. Only Portimao did badly, but because he was also badly promoted. I will resolve for next year. Jerez went well, the passes were reduced and therefore there seemed to be fewer people, and this is the difference between the 2019 and this year. Then we went to France and it was a huge success ”.

Luck has also turned its back on MotoGP: in fact, on the calendar, the Italian Grand Prix coincided with Formula 1 on stage in Monaco. Monte Carlo is one of the most anticipated events of the championship and Ferrari is fighting for the title. According to Ezpeleta, this too may have contributed to the drop in attendance. However, he raised the alarm, stating that after the Misano MotoGP race it will be evaluated whether it is worth putting two dates in Italy. If the public response is not satisfactory, Dorna plans to leave only one race in order to satisfy countries that have requested to enter the calendar and that could bring a large number of spectators.

“Mugello went badly for various reasons, some attributable to them and others to us”, explains Ezpeleta. “The Formula 1 calendar has changed and the Italian Grand Prix coincided with Monaco. Everything about Ferrari in Italy is important, and this combination is a first mistake. Also I think little promotion work has been done, we have already discussed it. We are receiving an exorbitant number of requests to host the grands prix, but as much as we are discussing whether to do two grands prix in Italy, if they are not successful we will not do two. In Italy they make two because they were both successful, the presence of many Italian teams in the paddock influences. But you also need to have an audience. I will not rotate one of the Spanish grand prix where there is full of fans to make one in Italy that does not fill up. I think i is a solution and we need to work, first of all, to find a date that does not coincide with Formula 1. But the fact that the championship arrives in Italy, with Aprilia and Ducati in the lead, and there are fewer people is not conceivable. “.

Could the absence of Valentino Rossi have contributed? It is undoubtedly the first thought, but according to Dorna’s CEO, the Doctor’s retirement cannot be attributable to such an important decline: “Does the absence of Valentino weigh on you? We will see him at Misano, because there was little promotion at Mugello. There was the 46th retreat ceremony on Saturday, and people were there. I honestly think people have moved on. But Valentino was not alone in Italy. The other day I took a look, because it is my duty, and I saw what the stands were like. There are still many people who dress in his clothing, continue to buy merchandising. Valentino has a team, he’s always there, even if it’s not the same if he were racing on a motorcycle. I think we need to do a great job of promotion in Italy, because it is not understandable that a country that has teams like Aprilia and Ducati, as well as a list of riders who can win and who have also won in MotoGP this year, doesn’t have much. public”.

In spite of what we saw at Mugello and Suzuki’s farewell (which undoubtedly raises questions), Ezpeleta is keen to underline how healthy the championship is: “We are not in bad shape, on the contrary, we are in better shape, especially as far as it concerns a very important issue: the amount of requests from countries that want to host the grand prix. If I could do 26 Grands Prix, I have the countries where I can do them ”.

Audience off the track

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images