
Carlos Ezpeleta and Guenther Steiner: How MotoGP is handling its new American investors
Leaders Worth Knowing PodcastShow Notes
MotoGP's Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta and Guenther Steiner, the new CEO and Co-Owner of the Tech3 MotoGP team, join David Cushnan to discuss how the world's leading motorcycling series in entering its new era, following F1 owner Liberty Media's acquisition last year.
Ezpeleta explains how the changes made so far, some more visible than others, are designed to supercharge the championship's popularity and revenues, and how the new US influence on the series is beginning to manifest itself.
Speaking in London before last Sunday's British round of the championship, the 12th of 22 scheduled races this year, he and Steiner also reflect on the painstaking governance work, which resulted in a fresh commercial framework binding the teams - including manufacturers Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Aprilia and KTM - to the series and world motorcycling governing body the FIM until 2031, and how to build up the profile of the sport's superstars in markets beyond the current heartlands of Spain and Italy.
And Steiner, who led the Haas F1 team from 2016 to 2024 and became the breakout star of Drive to Survive, explains why investors including IKON Capital and David Blitzer's Bolt Ventures paid $50 million to invest in the independent Tech3 MotoGP team, and how his experience of F1 is helping Ezpeleta chart a path forward under new ownership.
-----
The Leaders Week London agenda is here. Visit https://bit.ly/3QJra1u and join 2,000 senior sports executives from over 50 countries at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, for the Summit, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October.
More from Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast
The International Olympic Committee has revealed the process and timeline for selecting the host of the 2036 summer Olympic Games, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are on hand to discuss why a more open bidding contest is a good thing.
Bex Smith, CEO of multi-club women's football ownership group Crux Football, is the next guest in the series, from Leaders and research agency GWI, exploring demographics, attitudes and priorities amongst fans of women’s sport.
Netflix has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights in Spain to the 2030 men's Fifa World Cup, a move which underlines its live sports ambition and marks a first foray into football in Europe.
Simon Crownshaw is Microsoft’s international factotum: Worldwide Director for Media & Entertainment, CTO, and AI evangelist, he is also the key to the sports and entertainment marketing arsenal at Microsoft.
The curtain has fallen on Leaders Week London at Stamford Bridge, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are joined by an all-star lineup to reflect on the major themes of the Summit.