Dorna makes cash pledge

MotoGP bosses have pledged to invest a massive £25m in 2007 to help ease some of the sponsorship worries currently casting a cloud of world championship racing.

The money will be split between teams across the three world championship classes with the large proportion going to the MotoGP class.

TV and live audiences are booming in MotoGP but the sport’s popularity has not been reflected commercially, with teams struggling to fulfil budgets, including the British-based Team Roberts.

Kenny Roberts recently threatened to quit racing because of a shortfall in his ’07 budget, but the American is close to securing a deal to continue for the entire 18-round series.

This is after having recently secured investment from British-based car supermarket motorpoint.co.uk.

CEO Carmelo Ezpleta confirmed confirmation of Dorna’s cash investment yesterday, and the fresh cash injection is nearly £14m more than the money distributed to teams in 2006.

Dorna is hosting a special two-day conference in Barcelona next month, where two members of each team will attend to discuss ways of attracting more sponsorship.