Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Paolo Pavesio supports broadening MotoGP's audience but wants a clear shared direction. In an exclusive Motorsport.com Italian interview reported by the English edition on October 18, he connected new viewers, existing fans and manufacturer investment: how does championship growth fit motorcycle makers' business aims?
Why manufacturers care about both new and existing fans
Pavesio said manufacturers are motorcycle racing's main investors, with MotoGP's five makers providing 70% of total paddock investment according to his interview account. He summarized the purpose as selling motorcycles, seeking overall growth while retaining current fans' identification with the sport.
He believes new spectators can make the audience younger and create commercial opportunities, with manufacturers also selling everyday scooters. He warned that changes leaving traditional fans unable to identify with the sport could lose that audience.
His two aims are connected: wider contact with motorcycle racing brings potential customers, while existing identification sustains the audience behind long-term investment. Those sales prospects remain his assessment, not evidence of new audiences already converting into sales.
Support for the 850cc technical change
Pavesio saw no fault in the direction of 850cc bikes arriving in 2027, expecting high performance with improved rideability. Preserving existing fans did not mean retaining every current feature, but managing change in a planned way.
He cited his appreciation of 500cc bikes in 2002 to illustrate generations' affection for different technical eras. Past preferences explain emotional connections, while he still advocates evolution under a clear shared strategy.
A shared manufacturer framework for 2027–31
Yamaha's June 19 announcement supplies context: Yamaha, Aprilia, Ducati, Honda and KTM jointly signed a 2027–31 agreement covering sporting, technical and commercial matters, developed through negotiation.
In it, Pavesio emphasized continued commitment on and off track and balance between innovation, competition and fan engagement. Liberty Media's July 3, 2025, announcement confirmed completion of the Dorna acquisition. The completed transaction and this year's manufacturer agreement respectively form the commercial background and participation framework for reform.
INKA SPORTS analysis: Shared direction matters beyond individual changes
The comments identify one constraint: manufacturers want a larger championship while keeping viewers interested in motorcycles themselves. In Pavesio's investment logic, reaching viewers, introducing brands and pursuing sales are connected, with existing fans' identification part of the chain.
The agreement's scope also calls for coordination of sporting, technical and commercial arrangements. Technical direction affects manufacturer participation; promotion and engagement affect audience expansion. The five-year framework supports continued involvement, while actual plans and later feedback must establish reform's effects.
Conclusion
Pavesio proposes planned audience growth that seeks new viewers while preserving existing identification and manufacturers' reasons to invest. The 2027–31 framework is established; implementation, audience changes and participants' subsequent feedback must test its effects.
