MotoGP’s chief sporting officer has moved to reassure British motorsport fans that the Silverstone race remains secure despite sweeping changes planned for the sport’s calendar.
Carlos Ezpeleta told City AM that the British Grand Prix venue would not come under threat as MotoGP pursues an ambitious strategy to broaden its global footprint beyond European borders.
The commitment comes after MotoGP signed a landmark deal with its five manufacturers, similar in scope to Formula 1’s governing Concorde Agreement, formalising the commercial framework across the sport until 2031.
The agreement arrives after F1 owner Liberty Media purchased a majority stake in MotoGP for £4bn last year, with growth and global expansion now central to the organisation’s long-term ambitions.
Ezpeleta was candid about the sport’s current geographic imbalance, acknowledging that MotoGP has historically been heavily concentrated in southern Europe and needs to rebalance its calendar accordingly.
“We’re a global sport — we’re actually one of the few really global sports where you have global fandom dispersed around the globe on a pretty proportional level,” he said.
“A big part of the fan base is spread across the world. We are a sport that was born in Europe and [is] over-indexed right now in the south of Europe,” Ezpeleta added.
The numbers reflect that shift clearly, with Ezpeleta outlining a trajectory from 14 European races and eight outside, moving toward an even split within roughly three years.
“We currently have 14 [races] in Europe, eight outside. That will be 13 in Europe and nine outside next year, and probably 50-50 quite quickly — maybe within three years from now I could see that being 50-50,” he said.
Two major new events are already confirmed for next year, with Buenos Aires and Adelaide set to join the calendar as MotoGP accelerates its push into new territories.
“There are amazing events in Europe that will always be in the calendar but we’re bringing in two new events overseas next year, in Buenos Aires and Adelaide,” Ezpeleta said.
The sport is also eyeing further expansion into regions that have yet to host a MotoGP round, with several markets actively under consideration by the organisation’s leadership.
“A second race in the United States, when it’s right and when we’re ready; south-east Asia; the Middle East; and Africa is also a conversation that we’re having,” Ezpeleta confirmed.
The new manufacturer agreement also restructures how teams are compensated, replacing a profit-share model with fixed participation fees designed to provide greater financial stability across the paddock.
Ezpeleta expressed confidence that the changes could dramatically increase the value of MotoGP teams, suggesting franchises currently worth $50m could eventually be valued at $250m or even billions as the sport’s commercial appeal grows.