Against the backdrop of the disagreements sparked by MotoGP’s new format for next season, Marc Marquez believes the riders will eventually come together in a commission to give themselves a stronger voice, along the lines of Formula 1’s GPDA.
MotoGP, together with the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), confirmed on Wednesday the changes to the grand prix weekend schedule that will come into force next season.
The most significant aspect of the new format is the introduction of a dedicated qualifying session for the sprint races, a change that has exposed clear differences of opinion between those who view it as “interesting” and welcome it, such as Francesco Bagnaia and Luca Marini, and those who believe the new schedule will add further stress and risk for riders who are already operating close to the limit in those areas from Thursday through Sunday.
Marquez belongs to the latter group, saying “what is interesting is knowing what the objective of this change is, because for the riders it will simply be more demanding,” during the official press conference at Mandalika on Thursday.
However, he was not particularly confrontational about it either, having not attended the Safety Commission meeting held at Motegi, where Carlos Ezpeleta, the championship’s deputy CEO, explained the change to the four riders who were present.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
There are two clearly opposing positions when it comes to assessing the new format. But there is one point on which there is complete unanimity throughout the grid: the riders do not have enough of a voice and, above all, they are partly responsible for that themselves, having failed to organise into a collective body capable of representing them. Formula 1, by contrast, has the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), founded in 1961, which looks after the collective interests of the drivers. Its current chairman is former driver Alexander Wurz, while Carlos Sainz and George Russell serve as directors.
Over the past three years, there have been several attempts in MotoGP to create a similar organisation, with Sylvain Guintoli even chosen as its public face. At the end of 2023, the Frenchman went as far as beginning the process of formally establishing the association, but the project ultimately came to nothing. On that occasion, several riders felt that the potential operating costs of the organisation could not be justified, and the process was put on hold.
With the decree that will compress the weekend schedule even further from next season onwards, the lack of a collective voice among the championship’s main protagonists once again became a recurring topic in the paddock at Mandalika.
“It doesn’t matter what we think, they haven’t given us a choice,” Pedro Acosta said. “The decision has been made between the championship and the teams; the riders have had nothing to do with it. You accept it because that’s the way it is.”
Alex Marquez agreed, fully aligning himself with his older brother on that point. “The teams and the organisation make the decisions; you either accept them or you leave. The format has been changed, it has been made official, and the riders have had very little information about it. But I can’t say much either, because I’ve been more focused on my own season than on other things,” admitted last year’s runner-up.
Marc Marquez is one of the most experienced riders on the grid, and the one with perhaps the greatest influence of them all. If there is one rider whose opinion is taken into account by the organisation, it is him. That is why some see Marquez as the ideal candidate to lead such a riders’ association, although he does not believe he is in a position to take on that role, at least while he is still racing.
“While you are an active rider, it is impossible to lead a riders’ commission,” said the Ducati rider, who also offered an insight into some of the reasons why the latest attempt at uniting the riders eventually collapsed.
“The problem with MotoGP is that the average age is very young. Everyone looks after their own interests, we are selfish, and it is difficult to make people see reason,” explained the multiple world champion. “But,” he reflected, “if you look at it in the long term, we all want the same thing: to be here, to go fast, to win, and to have the necessary safety to be able to manage as long a racing career as possible. I have come to realise that over the years.”
At this point, there is only one likely solution, although it may take some time before the younger and more experienced riders converge on the same position: “Sooner or later, the association will be formed, as happens in Formula 1.”
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