YAMAHA BOSS URGES MOTOGP TO GROW WITHOUT LOSING ITS FANS

Yamaha MotoGP boss Paolo Pavesio supports efforts to expand the championship, but says growth must not leave its established audience feeling that the sport has become unrecognisable.

MotoGP has been pursuing a broader fan base since Liberty Media’s €4.2 billion takeover in 2024. Changes have included new fan initiatives, a larger calendar and plans to alter the race-weekend format from 2027. Teams have also gained greater prominence, while Moto2 and Moto3 have become less visible as organisers put more emphasis on the premier class.

Pavesio told Motorsport that growth is important, but stressed that MotoGP’s commercial foundations differ from Formula 1’s. Manufacturers are the sport’s biggest investors, he said, and their purpose is to sell motorcycles. He estimated that the five MotoGP manufacturers account for 70 per cent of the total investment in the area.

“Why do we do it? To sell the bikes,” Pavesio said. “That’s why we have to be careful.” He added that manufacturers would welcome lower costs, but described their spending as an investment. The priority, he said, is for the championship to develop without alienating the people who already follow it: “We must be careful not to develop this sport to such an extent that our fans no longer recognise themselves in it and drift away.”

He also backed the technical changes planned for 2027, which are intended to reshape the bikes and, in turn, improve the spectacle. Pavesio said the new machines would remain extreme, but become “a bit more humane”. He does not consider the technical evolution a mistake and believes the racing could benefit, while suggesting that questions around devices and when they should be introduced or banned can be debated later.

For Pavesio, attracting new fans is an opportunity, provided the sport retains its connection to the manufacturers and their products. He contrasted that with Formula 1, arguing that integrating a manufacturer’s technology into F1 does not directly sell its cars in the same way. MotoGP manufacturers, by contrast, also make everyday vehicles: “We also manufacture scooters, which are useful for getting around.”