Formula 1 And MotoGP Are Now Owned By The Same People

Liberty, already the controlling entity behind Formula 1, will now oversee the world’s best motorcycle racing championship. The deal, valued at approximately €4.2 billion, grants Liberty Media an 84% stake in Dorna, with the remaining 16% retained by Dorna's management team.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1998, will continue to lead MotoGP's operations. In the short term, fans shouldn’t expect much to change.

Since purchasing F1 for $8 billion in 2017, Liberty has overseen a dramatic surge in F1's popularity. A combination of regulation changes, promotional campaigns, and an embrace of digital media strategies has turned the sport into an even bigger commercial success. Notably, F1 team valuations have soared under Liberty’s management, with even the teams at the back of the grid now worth hundreds of millions.

MotoGP, by contrast, has struggled with discoverability and accessibility despite housing some of the most insane characters within the paddock. Dorna’s streaming service lacks polish, and the company does not make race highlights available on free platforms, limiting reach and trial. One of Liberty’s most obvious to-dos will be overhauling how MotoGP presents itself to viewers, both old and new.

While MotoGP is often praised as more competitive and unpredictable than F1, the sport hasn’t found the same global resonance. Bringing MotoGP under the same production and distribution umbrella as Formula 1 could solve some of those issues.

Under Liberty, a unified streaming subscription offering F1 and MotoGP access isn’t out of the question. There are also discussions around improving MotoGP’s YouTube presence and making race recaps or highlight packages more widely available—basic low lift moves that could widen the audience considerably.

Speculation aside, Liberty says it intends to run MotoGP and Formula 1 as distinct entities. However, some level of cross-promotion seems inevitable. Shared race weekends between F1 and MotoGP are probably unlikely due to the logistical challenges of accommodating both series at a single venue. Still, marketing collaborations and co-branded promotional content could become more common, especially at circuits like COTA or Barcelona, where both series already have a presence.

The acquisition is expected to close no later than July 3, 2025, ushering in a new era for MotoGP as it aims to expand its audience and enhance its global presence. Still, any structural or logistical changes will be slow to materialize.

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