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.

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