After more than a year of tough negotiations, the MotoGP manufacturers and MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MGPSEG), the series promoter, have approved the framework for the Concorde Agreement that will bind them together for the next five years.
The negotiations lasted longer than either side had initially anticipated, largely due to the strategy adopted by the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association (MSMA), which identified the current moment as an opportunity to push aggressively in pursuit of the best possible terms.
Autosport understands that both the manufacturers and the independent teams have approved the latest version of the contract that will govern the relationship with the championship from 2027 through 2031. The agreement also includes an option to extend its core provisions through 2036.
The intention is for both parties to officially ratify the new deal at the next round of the calendar in Brno, in two weeks’ time.
The main source of tension was financial. Both manufacturers and teams pushed to secure a percentage of the championship’s revenues, following the model used in Formula 1, which, like MotoGP, is also owned by Liberty Media.
Most team executives believed this would be the fairest way to ensure stakeholders shared in the championship’s success while also encouraging them to contribute to its growth and rising popularity — a key objective for the new ownership.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MGPSEG, and Derek Chang, Liberty Media boss
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
However, that ultimately proved to be a red line for Carmelo Ezpeleta and Carlos Ezpeleta, MGPSEG’s CEO and Chief Sporting Officer respectively. In the end, the parties agreed on a fixed annual amount of around £6.92million, divided among several categories.
It is worth noting that the green light applies to a framework agreement and that several issues remain open, particularly those related to the commitments that teams will be required to undertake from next year onward.
MGPSEG’s priority is to strengthen communication and marketing activities above all other areas, and teams have been asked to reinforce those departments accordingly.
At the same time, discussions are ongoing regarding formal and operational changes that are set to come into effect next season.
The agreement is set to unlock a series of announcements concerning rider signings and contract renewals for 2027, many of which have reportedly been agreed for several months.
Aside from Aprilia, which moved first by announcing Marco Bezzecchi’s contract extension, none of the other deals have yet been made public. Autosport understands that this could change in the coming days, with a wave of announcements expected to follow.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Many of those moves have already been widely anticipated, including Marc Marquez’s renewal with Ducati, Pedro Acosta’s move to the factory Ducati team, Fabio Quartararo’s switch to Honda, Jorge Martin’s swap to Yamaha and Francesco Bagnaia’s arrival at Aprilia.
We want to hear from you!
Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.
Take our survey
– The Autosport.com Team
Read the full article here
