2022 was year one after Valentino Rossi’s long and successful career. And with Francesco Bagnaia, a compatriot followed in his footsteps. For the first time since Rossi’s last world title in 2009, an Italian became MotoGP World Champion.
But there was no great enthusiasm at the two Italian races. Only 74,078 spectators gathered in Mugello over the entire weekend. On Sunday there were only 43,661 fans. That was a dramatic slump compared to 2019.
In the year before the coronavirus pandemic, 139,329 visitors made the pilgrimage to Mugello. On Sunday there were 83,761 fans. Rossi’s resignation and high ticket prices have been cited as reasons for this drop in viewership.
“It wasn’t as bad in Misano as it was in Mugello,” notes Luca Marini. “I remember it was similar at Misano in the past with Vale too.” The numbers for Misano were better but also down compared to 2019.
Beginning of a new era?
In 2019 there were still 158,300 fans over the entire weekend and 96,212 of them on race day. In September, 101,140 spectators gathered at Misano, including 56,951 on Sunday.
And that, although the two Italians Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini dueled for victory. Ducati won all World Championship classifications in the 2022 season. It was one of the most successful years for Italy. Why is interest falling?
“I think that we are only at the beginning of a new era for Italian drivers,” believes Marini. “Vale had the opportunity to bring in new fans over many years. Also, the races were on free TV, so he was able to reach a lot more people.”
In Italy, Spain, France and Great Britain, MotoGP and the other classes have been broadcast exclusively on pay TV for a number of years. Germany and Austria are an exception with the broadcasts on ‘ServusTV’.
“Now it’s a matter of time. All MotoGP riders are very young at the moment,” says Marini of the generation change that has taken place. “We have to wait until we reach the hearts of the fans. In a few years, the stands will be full again.”
“The level in MotoGP is currently at a peak”
According to Marini, Bagnaia and Co. must first build up a fan base. But the new world champion has discovered a grandstand specially dedicated to him at Misano: “At turn 10 I saw a lot of flags with my number 63.”
“There were also a lot of fans with my flags in Mugello. But in Misano it was unbelievable how many people were there. I hope that I will continue to have these loyal fans in the future because it makes me very happy.”
But the sport and the action on the track has also changed. Overtaking maneuvers have become more difficult. There are often phases in the race that are more like a procession. Does that damage the entertainment and ultimately result in a decline in viewers?
“We don’t make mistakes because we’re the best riders in the world,” laughs Marini, adding seriously: “We have the best tires and the best bikes. It’s impossible to make mistakes when everything works 100 percent.”
“The level in MotoGP is at a high right now. I think the MotoGP show is good. In the past it was maybe spectacular because only three riders were fighting at the top. The fans could only focus on them.”
“Now every driver can win a race. The level is just amazing. In every race there is a group of drivers fighting for the podium. It’s unbelievable in my opinion.”