At the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), major decisions are most often made on the ground floor of the building that houses the pitboxes, at the end closest to the pitlane entrance. Most of the offices there have windows overlooking the paddock.
On Sunday, hours before Marco Bezzecchi completed his perfect run of victories since the start of the 2026 MotoGP season, all of them were open except one, where a curtain prevented any curious onlooker from seeing who was inside.
At that moment, the championship’s top decision-makers were hoping to finalise the commercial framework for the next five years – even if only with a symbolic handshake between the manufacturers (MSMA) and MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MGPSEG, formerly known as Dorna).
However, Motorsport.com understands that the gap between the two positions at that time made an agreement impossible. Talks remain on hold, pending a resumption of negotiations that have now dragged on for over a year.
The contract on the table will bind all premier-class teams to Liberty Media, the rights holder of the championship, for the 2027–2031 period. It will define the rights and obligations of both parties, with the financial aspect representing the main point of conflict.
Teams are pushing to implement a model similar to that used in Formula 1, whereby they would receive a share of the profits. MGPSEG, however, wants to maintain the current structure, which stipulates a fixed payment independent of overall revenue.
The latest proposal is understood to be around €8m, distributed across various variables – an increase of roughly €1m compared to the current deal, which expires at the end of this year.
Teams consider that increase insufficient and have made this clear to Carmelo Ezpeleta and Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP’s CEO and chief sporting officer respectively. On Sunday in Austin, they also conveyed their position to Liberty Media’s top executives, led by CEO Derek Chang. That meeting could mark a turning point in what has become a stalled process, which is currently delaying announcements of rider signings and renewals already agreed for 2027.
MotoGP field at the start
Photo by: Steve Wobser / Getty Images
If the situation has reached this point, it is because manufacturers see this moment as a unique opportunity to press their demands. Not only because the current agreement expires in eight months, but also due to the broader context following Liberty Media’s acquisition of the championship.
Until now, the entertainment giant’s leadership has largely stayed out of day-to-day decision-making. However, there is a growing belief within the paddock that this could change once the new contract – MotoGP’s equivalent of Formula 1’s Concorde Agreement – is signed.
Aware of the importance of Sunday’s meeting in Austin, MSMA members gathered for a dinner the previous Saturday, Motorsport.com understands. The meeting was promoted by Ducati and organised by Aprilia, with several representatives from each manufacturer in attendance.
Among the key figures present were Michele Colaninno, CEO of the Piaggio Group; Claudio Domenicali, his counterpart at Ducati; Gottfried Neumeister, KTM’s CEO. Honda was represented by Yuzuru Ishikawa (MotoGP project leader) and Alberto Puig (team manager), while Yamaha’s delegation was led by Paolo Pavesio.
This informal summit served to define the strategy for the crucial face-to-face meeting the following morning.
Sunday’s meeting began at 11am and lasted around an hour. Shortly after midday – just a couple of hours before the MotoGP race – the manufacturers’ chiefs left the offices and gathered in a visible huddle in the paddock, where they spent a good 20 minutes discussing the outcome.
Motorsport.com understands the MSMA believes the current draft contains a number of limitations that make it unacceptable. Beyond the financial terms mentioned above, there are also clauses related to team slot ownership and the degree of control over them – particularly regarding the entry of potential investors.
As expected, the financial dimension underpins all aspects of the ongoing debate. On the responsibilities side, MGPSEG is demanding that teams strengthen their marketing and communications departments in an effort to expand the championship’s reach as much as possible. In addition to hiring more staff, teams are also expected to have fully functional MotoGP prototypes available for promotional events.
Continuing on the commercial front, teams are also being asked to improve the level of hospitality they provide to guests, particularly those using shared facilities at overseas events. “The current proposal offers an increase of €1m, but everything they are asking from us already costs significantly more than that,” a source familiar with the negotiations told Motorsport.com.
As things stand, the promoter, manufacturers, and independent teams all share the intention of reaching an agreement, as they all aim to compete in 2027. The MSMA – responsible for supplying the bikes – must first sign with MGPSEG, after which the independent teams will follow.
It remains to be seen whether the parties involved in these negotiations will ultimately find common ground – or whether intervention from higher up will be required to break the deadlock.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Team
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: motorsport.com
