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Speculation about current Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali stepping over to the MotoGP paddock as part of Liberty Media’s takeover of the two-wheeled championship’s promoter Dorna Sports is nothing more than the result of a ‘misunderstanding’ over his role in the project, according to The Race’s sources.
Rumours emerged in Dutch media that the plan was for F1 CEO and president Domenicali to step down from his current roles and switch to the leadership of MotoGP, presumably once Liberty Media’s acquisition of it is complete.
This completion is still set to happen by the end of 2024, according to Liberty’s latest information.
However, talk of a Domenicali move is understood to be incorrect. There is no plan for him to vacate his F1 roles, although it is possible he will offer advice and support to MotoGP once it is part of the Liberty fold - which may be where the misunderstanding emerged.
EZPELETA OUT?
Domenicali’s name has presumably been linked with a move to Dorna thanks to his extensive connections in the MotoGP paddock, with the Italian close friends with Pramac Racing’s team boss Paolo Campinoti, who saw his squad clinch the 2024 title with Jorge Martin on Sunday.
However, while a Domenicali move to MotoGP might not be happening for now, it seems that there may still be some changes afoot in the paddock’s senior management as part of Liberty’s pending takeover of the championship.
The Race’s sources have suggested that Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta may already be preparing to step down as part of the $4.2billion deal, in a similar manner to how former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was moved aside when Liberty took over that series nearly a decade ago.
Ezpeleta has been in control of MotoGP since Dorna took over the championship in 1993, and has installed his family in key roles throughout the sport, with son Carlos acting as sporting director and daughter Ana in charge of talent development.
Further news on Liberty’s planned purchase of Dorna is now expected within the next month, after Maffei confirmed last week that Liberty had filed its plan with the European Union’s monopolies commissioner, which is expected to deliver a provisional answer on approval before December 19.
MAFFEI'S MOVE SPARKED QUESTIONS
Domenicali has been in charge of F1 since 2020, when he replaced predecessor Chase Carey - who was Liberty Media’s inaugural F1 boss, having played a key role along with Liberty CEO Greg Maffei and chairman John Malone in acquiring F1’s commercial rights.
The experience Domenicali has gained in the job and his planned continuity were recently cited by FOM sources as an important factor in the transition process that will occur now that Maffei is stepping down.
Maffei has been an extremely influential Liberty figure with heavy involvement in key F1 matters - including the recent conversations regarding a renewal of the Concorde agreement, the commercial deal the teams sign up to with F1 and the FIA.
News of his departure sparked some speculation that it could be related to the MotoGP purchase, or more likely the US Department of Justice’s investigation into F1’s rejection of the mooted General Motors-backed Andretti Cadillac entry.
However, this is not thought to have been a factor. Andretti continues to prepare for an F1 entry it has not yet been granted and a change in top Liberty leadership could theoretically lead to a different perspective but Maffei leaving is said to be in response to his own responsibilities narrowing as Liberty completed a restructuring of its various enterprises - rather than any kind of DoJ compromise or anything like that.
The message from FOM is that Maffei leaving has no material short-term impact, chiefly because Domenicali offers stability and is now well established across all aspects of his job.
In time, a new Liberty CEO will inevitably have the potential to influence F1 matters. But the day to day responsibility is still expected to fall to Domenicali in his role as F1 CEO and president.
