Why have Spain and Italy dominated MotoGP?
Follow Us
Marc Marquez
Out of the 27 riders who have been on the MotoGP grid in this 2022 season, 18 riders are either of Spanish or Italian nationality. This is a major quantity but not surprising as fans have been used to these two countries bringing their best to this sport. The amount of talent that we have gotten is immense and it will keep coming in the following years.
As a sport, motorcycle racing has become very accessible to youngsters residing in these two nations. The facilities available for the individuals to pursue their passion in motorsports are top notch.
In comparison to Formula One and other Motorsports, you must have noticed that you’ll find Spanish and Italian MotoGP riders in plenty during any era of the premier class of two wheel motorsports. Spain and Italy have contributed massive amounts to motorsports and they still do to this day. There are multiple reasons for that, some of which we will see today.
The Culture :
MotoGP riders mainly come from Spanish and Italian backgrounds as the motorcycle culture there is far more fierce. There are comparatively more people interested in putting their kids on a race bike and introducing them to racing at a very young age. The more kids will join racing, the more developed the feeder system will come into place to get the young riders up the MotoGP ladder.
Since the Spanish and Italian racing culture is so prominent in all the parts, the feeder series system is very accessible and it becomes easier for a rider of either one of the nationalities to pass through onto another stage on the path towards MotoGP.
The Fans :
With such a prosperous motorcycle culture in both the countries, it indirectly means that there will be more Spanish and Italian fans of MotoGP which is great for ticket sales and even better for the sponsors as they can find their right target audience. It has been noticed that when there aren’t any Spanish or Italian riders on the grid, the support that the two fanbases of either nationalities provide becomes practically scarce.
Advertising :
With a plethora of Spanish and Italian fans already in place MotoGP becomes a good industry for the Companies to advertise their products. Spanish and Italian fans generally have more liking towards riders of their own company so sponsors prefer backing people from those two countries.
A company will pay extensively more to have their logo on Spanish and Italian riders as there is a huge and dedicated fanbase affiliated with them. The amount of brand visibility that one will get is immense which is the main reason all the Spanish and Italian brands are keen to support riders of the same nationality.
Rider Sponsorship :
A seat in MotoGP does require the rider to bring a sponsor with him and in this case, Italian and Spanish riders have a higher chance of getting a big sponsorship deal. This gives them a better probability of securing a seat in the premier class of motorsports on two wheels
Due to this, some of the greatest names in the sport have been either Spanish or Italian. When you say Spanish, my mind will go towards Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi aka ‘The Doctor’ when you say Italian. Such is the impact that both of these Nations have caused on MotoGP.
Also read : Fabio Quartararo joined the Mercedes F1 team as a guest for an exhilarating French GP
Do follow us on: Google News| Facebook| Instagram| Twitter
Stay Updated!
Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)