MotoGP «could use» F1’s street circuits, says CEO

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has not ruled out the possibility of MotoGP hosting races on some of the street circuits featured on the Formula 1 calendar.

MotoGP is at a pivotal moment following the acquisition of its promoter Dorna Sports by Liberty Media, the same media company that owns F1 outright.

The move has naturally generated a lot of anticipation around the possibility of both series employing synergies and growing closer together.

For years, many people have mused about the possibility of F1 and MotoGP hosting a joint race weekend in the future, even before the two series came under the same ownership.

While that remains nothing more than an idea as of now, Ezpeleta spent the past weekend attending F1’s self-promoted Las Vegas Grand Prix and was full of praise for the show Liberty Media put together, telling Spanish broadcaster DAZN: “In terms of spectacle, what they do is incredible.” 

Asked about the possibility of MotoGP hosting a race in the middle of a major city, similar to F1’s glamorous Vegas event, Ezpeleta said he was open to the idea, as long as the riders‘ safety could be ensured.

“We have no problem racing on street circuits; the only thing we need is run-off areas, and in Las Vegas it’s difficult to have them,” he said. “But there are some F1 street layouts that we could use.

“For us, safety is the most important aspect. Since we took charge of the championship in 1992, that has been our commitment to the riders, and we will not relax on that.”

Ezpeleta pointed out that the Indonesian Grand Prix is held on what is framed as a partial street circuit: “Theoretically, Mandalika is urban, and we race there.”

In the last few decades, and even more so after Liberty’s takeover in 2017, F1 has increasingly shifted towards street circuits, with the aim of turning grands prix into Super Bowl-style spectacles.

This year’s F1 calendar features six bona fide street circuits (Melbourne, Jeddah, Baku, Monaco, Singapore, Las Vegas), two semi-urban circuits (Montreal and Miami) and two additional city races on permanent tracks (Mexico and Abu Dhabi). Madrid will be added to the list next year.

Five permanent F1 circuits already host MotoGP annually: Losail, Austin, Barcelona, the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. That list could expand further if MotoGP returns to the Shanghai International Circuit, although this is not expected before 2027.

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— The Motorsport.com Team