MotoGP’s Concorde Agreement edges closer as talks near breakthrough

After months of negotiations and periods of tension, MotoGP’s promoter and the five participating manufacturers have moved significantly closer to a deal that could define the commercial framework of the series for the next five years.

The ongoing discussions between Dorna Sports (recently rebranded as MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group) and the manufacturers’ association (MSMA), along with the teams, have been running for nearly a year. At stake is a new agreement covering the 2027–2031 period, outlining rights and obligations on both sides, as well as the distribution of revenues generated from the championship’s commercial rights, primarily television.

The deal is widely seen as MotoGP’s equivalent of Formula 1’s Concorde Agreement, which governs the commercial and regulatory structure of that series.

Following a series of both individual and collective meetings, Autosport understands that positions have converged considerably in recent days. This has raised the prospect of a breakthrough — potentially as soon as this weekend at the US Grand Prix in Austin.

Senior executives from Liberty Media, the championship’s owner, are expected to be present at the Circuit of the Americas, making it an ideal setting to finalise the agreement.

“At the moment I’m not authorised to speak about this matter, because there is a spokesperson handling it,” Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing and current MSMA president, told Autosport during a conversation in Goiania.

Rivola was referring to Lin Jarvis, who has been appointed by the manufacturers as their representative and liaison with Dorna in these negotiations.

“Having said that,” Rivola added, “America is a very suitable place to sit down, given that it is Liberty Media’s home. Let’s see if we have any news after Austin.”

Talks have proven complex, with financial terms representing the main sticking point. While MotoGP has pushed for a fixed annual payment — a figure that has fluctuated slightly in recent weeks — teams are seeking a structural shift toward a revenue-sharing model based on a percentage of overall income, similar to the system used in Formula 1, also owned by Liberty Media.

Autosport understands that MotoGP’s current offer is in the region of €9 million per year per team, distributed across various components. Teams, however, favour adopting the F1-style model, believing it better reflects the championship’s growth potential in terms of popularity and business.

While financial terms have generated the most tension, they are not the only point of contention. Another key issue concerns the ownership of grid slots. Under the current agreement — which expires at the end of this season — those entries are controlled by Dorna. Teams are pushing to change that, arguing that holding the rights themselves would significantly increase their value when negotiating with sponsors and potential investors.

The draft agreement also includes provisions related to team obligations, particularly in areas linked to promotional and commercial activities.

Beyond the immediate relief that would come with signing the new deal, one of its knock-on effects is expected to be a wave of announcements concerning the 2027 rider market and team-manufacturer partnerships.

So far, only Marco Bezzecchi’s renewal with Aprilia has been officially confirmed — a situation that is far from coincidental. It is understood to be part of a broader strategy coordinated within the MSMA to apply pressure on the promoter.

That pressure, however, is relative. Behind the scenes, manufacturers are already well advanced in their 2027 projects, which will be built around the new 850cc prototype regulations.

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– The Autosport.com Team