It was an open secret and on Monday, April 1 it became official; Liberty Media, owner of the F1 World Championship rights, has made official the acquisition of Dorna Sports S.L.
The directors of the Grand Circus are going to pay a huge amount of money to take over the championship that has Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and rookie Pedro Acosta as stars. There is talk of a figure in the region of 4.2 billion euros.
Ferrari’s star Oliver Bearman orders a rare cappuccino at a coffeeshop
It should be remembered that Dorna is not only in charge of the premier class of motorcycling (MotoGP), Moto2 and Moto3, something they have been doing since 1992.
It also controls the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), where Alvaro Bautista has been crowned champion in the last two years, and the MotoE World Cup (Jordi Torres is twice champion of the electric category; last year Mattia Casadei won).
In addition, the new FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship has been added in 2024.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, who has been CEO of Dorna since 1994, will remain in his job. Another thing that remains the same is the headquarters, which will stay in Madrid.
Liberty Media is not going to take over the whole of Dorna. In the statement released to the media, they have specified that they will have 86% control. The remaining 14% will be in the hands of the company headed by Ezpeleta.
Finally, it should be noted that the acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
Reactions after the purchase was made official
Greg Maffei, President and CEO of Liberty Media, has expressed his satisfaction with the purchase.
“We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” he said.
“MotoGP is a global league with a loyal, enthusiastic fan base, captivating racing and a highly cash flow generative financial profile. Carmelo and his management team have built a great sporting spectacle that we can expand to a wider global audience.”
Meanwhile, Ezpeleta said: “This is the perfect next step in the evolution of MotoGP, and we are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans.
“We are proud of the global sport we’ve grown, and this transaction is a testament to the value of the sport today and its growth potential.
“Liberty has an incredible track record in developing sports assets and we could not wish for a better partner to expand MotoGP’s fanbase around the world.”
News Summary:
- F1 owners acquire MotoGP for an astronomical fee
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