Ezepeleta Counters Toto Wolff - "MotoGP concept better than F1"
Categories: MotoGP
After Toto Wolff showed a lack of understanding of MotoGP’s new sprint format, Dorna Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta responds to the criticism.
Wolff had said the development of MotoGP with its new “unsuitable” sprint format should be a cautionary tale for Formula 1.
The Mercedes team boss did not like the new format because he “doesn’t understand much about it anymore”.
“On Saturday the rider complains, but on Sunday he’s happy again. You can’t keep up with it. That doesn’t suit me at all. MotoGP is currently showing how not to do it.”
What seems like the projection of a subjective opinion onto the big stage is countered by Dorna Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta.
In an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, the Spaniard reacts to Wolff’s strange remarks.
He explains that it is important “to keep the basic components of the sport as simple and understandable as possible”, however, to ensure this, Dorna decided on the current sprint format especially.
Marketing over entertaining sport?
In contrast to Formula 1, each MotoGP race weekend is structured in the same way making it much easier to understand for the average viewer.
“The schedule looks identical for all events, qualifying is for both races. The sprint is half the distance and therefore only half the points are awarded.”
“In Formula 1 you qualify on Friday for Sunday and you qualify on Saturday for Saturday, you get a point for the fastest race lap, and so on. Nobody can say that’s easier to understand than the MotoGP concept.”
And the Spaniard doesn’t stop there and hits out at Formula 1 for their overly hyped but quite boring racing.
“A lot of people keep saying the sport doesn’t matter, people are attracted by the show and the package. I don’t know how long they can keep growing with the state of the sport as it is today, where a driver can win races by a whole minute.”
Of course, marketing is an important part of it, he said, but for a successful and entertaining racing series, exciting and spectacular sport makes “a huge difference”.
“I agree, it is very essential to present a good show and a decent marketing concept. We are also making efforts to improve marketing. We are not at the end of our tether with the quality of the sport either.”
