MotoGP needs wider global appeal, says Yamaha boss

MotoGP needs a wider global appeal to help attract vital new sponsorship and investment to safeguard the future of the sport.

The premier class is now too heavily biased towards Spain and Italy, according to Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis, who is campaigning to get MotoGP run in more countries to broaden its worldwide appeal.

The Interwetten Honda squad folded at the end of 2010 after just one season in the premier class having been The impact of the global economic crisis has been felt hard in MotoGP with Kawasaki withdrawing its factory effort at the beginning of 2009 and Suzuki reducing its involvement in 2011 to just one machine.

And despite dominating the world championship for the last three years with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha has been unable to find a replacement title sponsor for Fiat, who quit at the end of 2010.

The solution is to increase the profile of MotoGP outside of its traditional markets, says Jarvis.

Eight of the 18 races take part in just three countries in Spain, Italy and America and Jarvis said: “We should have more races in Asia. One of the successes of Formula One is it has moved its championship according to the trend of the global economy.”

“There are many races in the Arab countries and they are looking at other new markets like India and Russia. We’ve been too stuck in our traditional environment and four races in Spain is too much.”

“Every Grand Prix is successful but it is too much of a burden on the Iberian peninsular. Why are we not in South America for example? India would be very positive if it came on board but personally I’d like to see a race in Indonesia because it has a huge market. Yamaha and Honda together sell more than six million units in Indonesia.”

“Does that not justify having a race there? And there is an enormous TV audience there too. We have to work harder in those expanding business areas from an organisation and team point of view. We are moving in that direction but to convert that into commercial partners takes time.”

Abu Dhabi will join the MotoGP calendar in 2012 to form part of a special Middle East Bike Week that will see the race at the spectacular Yas Marina track run immediately after the Qatar night race.

India has been locked in talks with Dorna about hosting a race next year while Argentina has also been rumoured to be bidding for a race for the first time since 1999.