Between the Races: Carmelo Ezpeleta

After almost six months of waiting since the last race of 2008, the MotoGP season finally kicks off this weekend in Qatar. A lot has happened in the interim, most notably new rules featuring control tires and measures aimed at reducing the cost of racing, plus a pending change in the middleweight class from 250cc two-strokes to 600cc four-strokes. Despite a shortened testing schedule, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has been busy making sure that MotoGP continues to be a strong championship, and we recently had a chance to talk with him about what to expect.

RRX: What are your thoughts on the approaching 2009 MotoGP season?
Carmelo Ezpeleta: Well, we think this has been very difficult preseason, but finally we have resolved the situation and we have the same manufacturers as last year. I have said many times that my ideal number is twenty bikes, but with eighteen we’re comfortable. We think that we have the best riders in the world, and then we think that with the new regulations and the one tire rule, the racing will be really competitive and we will achieve the goals that we want to achieve with this class. I think that we’ll have a very exciting season.

How do you handle having a smaller grid?
Like I said, for me the ideal number is twenty, and I’m confident we will have twenty bikes in 2010.

How do you get more sponsors involved in MotoGP at a time when everyone is pulling out?
It is difficult at this time. We think with this crisis, we’ll have to survive and to continue growing with a reduction in the cost. With the help of Dorna, this is my goal. I do not think we can worry about increasing the sponsors right now. It would be fantastic, but we need to continue as we are.

Do you think MotoGP racing will be back to full strength when the economy turns around?
We would like to have twenty-two bikes on the grid, but MotoGP is still competitive and we think that honestly we have the best riders on the best equipment. We are better than we were five years ago, and every year we keep getting better and better.

What can you tell us about the new Moto2 class?
We needed to replace the 250s because first of all, the two-stroke technology is becoming less and less every year from the normal industry. Secondly, within the last year, the increase of the cost within the three categories—especially in Moto2 [250cc GP]—has been dramatic, and this has not given opportunities to all the riders at the second level. We looked at a lot of different possibilities, and finally we decided that Moto2 could fit all the interests that we have in this class. In my opinion, the new Moto2 class will be very competitive in performance and will match the 250 prototypes.

Will there be a split class for 250s and 600s in 2010?
We think that it is a possibility because we had an agreement with KTM and Aprilia until 2011 included, but because of the economy, the problem is that KTM left the championship already for 2009, and still it is difficult to fulfill a complete grid with 250cc bikes. Probably we will do the first year of 250s along with Moto2, or maybe just Moto2. We don’t know, but we will know very soon. It is one of the possibilities that 2010 could be Moto2 only.

You were there at the first official Moto2 presentation with the Blusens BQR team. What are your thoughts on their project?
This was the first project that we presented, and I was there for the first open bike presentation of that kind, but I know that there are others. My people have been talking to them, and apparently it is going well and the bike is performing. Now we’re waiting for the final decision regarding a one-engine rule, but in any case, any chassis can be adapted to the engine supplier.