MotoGP: Trump tariffs ‘not affecting’ US expansion plans yet

Under incoming Liberty Media ownership, MotoGP has repeatedly spoken of its priority in expanding its presence in the United States of America.

MotoGP has a long association with the US through world champion legends such as Kenny Roberts Sr, Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson, as American riders dominated through the late 1970s through to the mid-1990s.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s when Formula 1 didn’t even have a US Grand Prix, MotoGP visited the country at least twice.

Seen as a key market to help further grow the championship, comments have already been made about the possibility of adding a second US event to the calendar in the coming years alongside the race at COTA.

But an uncertain geopolitical climate between Europe and the US as a result of President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs will cause problems for some of MotoGP’s main manufacturers and brands.

Dorna Sports’ chief sporting officer Carlos Ezpeleta says the current trade war ‘hasn’t affected our plans’ to grow MotoGP in the US, but admits the championship will have to be wary of the ever-changing geopolitical landscape.

“I mean, yes the US is a big target strategically for a number of reasons, but because it’s such an important market,” Ezpeleta said when asked by Crash.net in an exclusive interview if Trump tariffs were causing a headache for MotoGP’s US expansion plans.

“I don’t think, for now, that geopolitical factor has affected us in our plans or in our strategy.

“It will of course if it affects the natural macroeconomic situation of the world and what normally happens in the rest of the world if there is recession or something.

“But I wouldn’t comment on those macroeconomic factors right now or political opinion.

“But, I mean, definitely a big target for us is to raise the sponsorship level of the teams and the championship, and that definitely comes by raising new audiences and attracting non-endemic sponsors to the sport.

“We’re doing that already and we’re happy to.”

Over the last few decades, MotoGP has been faced with major geopolitical problems, such as the financial collapse of 2008 and the COVID pandemic in 2020.

However, Dorna has been able to successfully navigate its way through these difficult times.

“Definitely when you are managing such a global platform you are affected by a number of things: floods, pandemics, recessions and quarantines and everything. So, it happens,” Ezpeleta concluded.