After unforgettable openers in Qatar and Portugal, MotoGP fans were left with a 2 week void to fill until we head to the USA. Fear not, as those 2 weeks will come to be the most momentous in the history of our sport – the announcement that F1’s Liberty Media will purchase a controlling stake in Dorna and it’s subsidiaries. Here’s everything that you need to know from the Easter break.
Liberty buyout
Of course, this is the only news most of us will be thinking about. Liberty Media – current owners of the F1 entity – have confirmed their intention to purchase Dorna for $4.4 billion.
The deal is subject to final checks by the various competition authorities but is unlikely to face any roadblocks, and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2024.
There is a lot of speculation about what this will mean for the future of the sport. Some very valid criticisms and concerns have emerged, such as future attitudes toward Moto2 and Moto3, and an over-sterilisation of personalities. However, there has also been an awful lot of hysteria, most of which is unfounded.
I will write up more of my thoughts on the whole situation soon, and explain why a lot of the panic around this can be tamed.
You can read the full announcement from motogp.com here.
Fabio extends with Yamaha
Silly season has officially kicked off. Fabio Quartararo announced this week that he will extend his contract with the Japanese manufacturer for an additional two years. The extension, which is rumoured to be worth over € 12 million, came as a surprise to many who have been following the relationship develop over the past 6 years. It has not been uncommon for Fabio to make his views on Yamaha’s (lack of) development heard by the press, regularly saying they still have a long way to go and haven’t been investing in key areas such as aero and power.
Instead, this announcement is more indicative of the attitude shift, which has been half the battle over the last few seasons.
Fabio has one goal- to be world champion once again- he has clearly seen something that has reassured him enough to retain belief in their joint partnership.
Of course, this does mean that seats previously linked to his name – notably the factory Aprilia – are now open to other riders. With the majority of the grid up for contract renewals this season, it could be a very interesting next few months.
Pedro breaks more records
Not content with breaking records on track, Pedro Acosta topped the viewing figures when he was invited to Spanish chat show El Hormiguero on Tuesday.
He talked about his experience so far in the premier class, overtaking Marc Marquez, and how important family is.
According to Barlovento Comunicación, the TV industry analysts, viewing figures hit over 4.3 million, and achieved an average screen share of over 15%. Clips from the show can be seen on Antena 3’s youtube channel.
Elbows Down 
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