The CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeletawhose role at the head of the MotoGP World Championship will be recognized at the VIII Annual Gala of the Madrid Sports Press Association (APDM), re-set the date for the rounds of the Grand Prix in Spain in an interview with Europa Press.
In 2024, Spain will take back its four Grands Prix in Jerez (April 28), Barcelona-Catalunya (May 26), Motorland Aragón (September 1) and Cheste (November 17), but its days are numbered: “In this year they will all be After 2027, honestly, I don’t think we can keep the four Grand Prix in Spain,” announced Ezpeleta.
Another of the topics addressed by the top leader of MotoGP is the step of Marc Márquez from Repsol Honda to Gresini Racing: “Marc Márquez is one of the best drivers in the history of motorcycling. Having the possibility that he will lead and fight again is another incentive. Obviously, he is missed. I am very sure that Marc will be competitive”.
He also explained the severe crisis suffered by the Japanese brands and forced them to withdraw concessions for Honda and Yamaha in order to recover from their sports and technological crisis: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a stronger effect on Japan than on Europe. It had nothing to do with it. Japan stopped completely and work continued in Europe, and that caused differences that brought back concessions to allow them to make up for lost time.”
“I am sure that, one, they will come back and, two, that it is fair because Honda and Yamaha also did the same in their time. When they won the World Championship, they were generous enough to give concessions that allowed other brands, first Ducati, and then Suzuki, KTM and Aprilia, to be competitive again,” he commented.
And he congratulated himself on the success of the Saturday Sprint Races: “At first, people didn’t quite understand it, but I think, at the end of the year it was a complete success. We increased the audiences both on television. and in other ways, such as directly in circuits”.
And he defends the limit of 22 Grand Prix “because we believe it is fair and the agreement we have with the manufacturers and the teams. More races, frankly, I don’t think we should do them, but less is also not right. In Spain, we have a “I agree with a possibility of rotation. This year they will all be there and, from there, after the 27th, honestly, I don’t think we can maintain 4 Grand Prix in Spain,” he insisted.
The crazy idea that Ezpeleta and Domenicali share
The heads of MotoGP, Carmelo Ezpeleta, and F1, Stefano Domenicali, have known each other for many years and share an exciting idea that they hope to one day launch: host F1 and MotoGP Grand Prix at the same circuit and in both weekends. Dorna’s CEO recognized this: With Stefano Domenicali, with whom I have had an extraordinary relationship for many years, we have been thinking about this for a long time. It’s not easy, but we can’t get it out of our minds. If we can, we will.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
