The MotoGP calendar has been expanding more and more, and this year it will equal the record of Grand Prix events, with 21 races. It would have been 22, but the one in Argentina was canceled, and 22 races are the maximum possible.
Still, it’s a heavy burden for the teams and riders, especially in terms of fatigue and time spent away from home. And so many events per year could lead the audience to lose interest in a sport that, until not many years ago, was somewhat restricted, with no more than 15/16 Grand Prix events annually.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, does not believe that the current size of the calendar will deter public interest. The Spaniard even told GPOne.com that there would be races all year round if it were feasible:
– I believe it’s the opposite: we don’t hold more races because it would be too demanding for the teams and riders. Ideally, we would start in January and end in December, but that’s impossible.
According to Ezpeleta, without races, media exposure decreases: ‘Whenever you’re not racing, you disappear. People like to watch races every week, or every two weeks. We don’t go beyond the 22 GPs, but the audience would like that’.