Revving Up Britain: MotoGP's Bid to Boost Local Talent

MotoGP is making a strong push to grow its presence in Britain. The sport's top official, Carmelo Ezpeleta, has made it clear that the UK is a key market. He points out that British fans are some of the most knowledgeable about the sport, and the UK played a big role in its early days. However, the sport has seen a lot of talent from other countries in recent years, and MotoGP wants to change that. The sport is doing well overall. Marc Márquez, a rider from Spain, is one of the biggest names in motorsport. The numbers are also impressive: more people are attending races, TV audiences are growing, and social media followers have passed 60 million. But despite the success of British riders in other motorcycle racing series, like World Superbikes, Britain has not had a MotoGP race winner in a long time. Ezpeleta is focused on growing interest and talent in the UK. He mentions ideas like a docuseries similar to "Drive to Survive" to showcase the riders and the sport. There are also talks about big names from Formula 1, like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, getting involved in MotoGP teams. Guenther Steiner, a well-known figure in F1, has already moved to a MotoGP team owned by a British group.MotoGP is trying to balance its history with modern business strategies. The sport has always had a rebellious, adventurous image, but it needs to appeal to a wider audience. Ezpeleta says MotoGP is not trying to become like Formula 1, but it does want to highlight the cool factor of motorcycles. Creating a British world champion will be tough. Most recent champions have been from Spain or Italy, and there are no British riders on the grid right now. Michael Laverty, a former racer, is working to create opportunities for young British riders. The plan is to start them young, with a clear path from local races to the world stage. Some fans are not happy with recent changes, like how Márquez's titles are being referred to. Ezpeleta says this is not a big deal and that junior titles are still important. He also mentions plans to celebrate Barry Sheene, a British legend, on the 50th anniversary of his first title.