Monday MotoGP Link Dump: Brembo Buys Öhlins, Liberty-Dorna Deal Question, Gonzalez Apologizes

By David Emmett |

With the 2025 MotoGP rider line up sorted, the 2025 MotoGP and WorldSBK calendars published, and an engine development freeze agreed in MotoGP for 2025 and 2026, the flood of MotoGP news has become a trickle. In WorldSBK, Toprak Razgatlioglu is close to wrapping up an astonishing title coming weekend in his first year at BMW. In MotoGP, the title is down to two, with just 10 points separating Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia. 

But a couple of noteworthy things have occurred over the past few days. So here's a quick round up.

An apology falls on deaf ears

Last week, the Gresini Moto2 team's title sponsor, Chinese motorcycle manufacturer QJMOTOR, demanded that the team sack Manu Gonzalez with immediate effect. Gonzalez had offended QJMOTOR by wearing a so-called hachimaki on the grid at Motegi. Gonzalez did so as a tribute to the role of Japan in motorcycle racing, an attitude shared widely in all motorcycling paddocks.

This had not gone down well with QJMOTOR, the company claiming it had offended Chinese fans and motorcyclists. The headband worn by Gonzalez featured the red circle from the current Japanese flag and the text "No 1" in Kanji characters. Though Japan has a long history of atrocities in Southeast Asia in the first half of the 20th Century and WWII, the hachimaki as a traditional headband has a history going back nearly a millennium. QJMOTOR's objections are hard to see outside of the Chinese government's increasing pushing of nationalism, and its insistence on Chinese corporations toeing the nationalist line.

Over the weekend, Manu Gonzalez issued a formal apology via his social media channels. "It was never my intention to disrespect or hurt the sentiment of the Chinese people, it was a thoughtless and involuntary gesture, and I regret it," he wrote, in a textbook example of how to offer a genuine apology.

Whether it has made any difference is as yet unknown. Gresini is yet to offer an official statement on the affair, and the entry lists for Phillip Island have not been published. However, on the Gresini website, in contrast to the vibrant design of the MotoGP and MotoE pages, the Moto2 page displays only a simple logo. Among the list of sponsors at the bottom of the page, QJMOTOR is missing.

No doubt we will learn more in the coming days, once the team arrives in Australia. Manu Gonzalez will be flying to Melbourne. The question is whether that is in vain.

Funny front ends

On Friday, Brembo announced that it had acquired a 100% stake in suspension manufacturer Öhlins Racing. Brembo paid $405 million to acquire the Swedish suspension form, according to Reuters. Brembo's current revenue is expected to reach $144 million in 2024. 

With the acquisition, Brembo strengthens its hold on MotoGP. The Italian firm has a de facto monopoly on braking components in MotoGP (and most of Moto3 and Moto2 as well), as well as a near monopoly on suspension, with KTM the only holdout, using WP components, a sister company owned by KTM parent Pierer Mobility Group. Brembo also owns Marchesini wheels, which are found on the majority of bikes on the grid.

Brembo's advantage is in the sheer quantity of data it has. Braking has moved on so far in MotoGP that it is hard for other brake manufacturers to break into the premier class. They would start so far behind in terms of data and experience that it would be almost impossible to catch up. 

Something similar is true for suspension. Öhlins has a near monopoly because they are willing to invest in the sport and have vast amounts of data to refine and extend their technology. It has taken WP nearly 7 years just to get on a par with Öhlins. The only way a suspension manufacturers is shown that kind of patience is because they are own by a manufacturer racing in MotoGP, as is the case with WP and KTM.

Even that is not always enough. Honda dropped Showa, the suspension brand they own, for Öhlins in 2009, with Dani Pedrosa holding out until 2010. Showa remained on satellite Hondas and on CRT bikes after the 1000cc switch, but disappeared completely when Honda introduced their Open Class RCV1000R machine in 2014.

Questions, questions 

Liberty Media's acquisition of Dorna is still in regulatory limbo, the deal awaiting approval in the major media markets MotoGP and F1 operate in, including the EU and US. So far, the EU Competition Commission has yet to open a formal case, according to the EU website. In their presentation, Liberty Media made it clear that they were going to allow Dorna to continue to operate independently, in the hope of appeasing the fears of regulators.

But the deal still faces hurdles. According to reports in the Belgian newspaper Het Belang Van Limburg, Belgian MEP Pascal Arimont has submitted a written question to the European Commission asking them to investigate the monopoly position Liberty has in both MotoGP and F1. The written question is yet to appear on MEP Arimont's parliamentary webpage.  

Arimont does not appear to be questioning Liberty's takeover of Dorna specifically, but rather demanding an investigation of the control Liberty holds over motorsport in general. Arimont is a representative of the German-speaking part of Belgium, and hails from Malmedy, just a few kilometers southeast of the Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit. It seems likely that his main concern is with the future and economic importance of the Spa circuit, rather than worry about Liberty owning the grand prix classes for both cars and motorcycles.

In statements reported by Het Belang van Limburg, Arimont expressed a desire that the European Commission should ensure that competition rules are enforced "to protect consumers and ensure fair competition". Liberty's acquisition of Dorna reeks of monopoly, Het Belang van Limburg writes. Arimont also points to the Formula One Group's refusal to offer Andretti-Cadillac a place in F1 as cause for concern. "The commercial agreements make it very hard for new teams to enter F1, which may be an illegal restraint on competition," Arimont said.  

The question highlights the fact that the Liberty deal is still far from complete. The regulatory hurdles have not been cleared, and though optimism reigns inside Dorna that the deal will reach fruition, it won't be over until the Danish lady sings.

 

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Comments

... I hope will tell QJ Motors to blow it out their ass, politely of course. And Dorna should make up any sponsorship money loss that might happen as a result. The whole thing is pathetic. 

Yes, the Japanese committed terrible atrocities against China and other nations. But this issue has been blown way out of proportion. It’s disturbing that Gonzalez has be forced to grovel and has been left dangling by Gresini. Maybe I’m reading it all wrong, but this is not just an awful look for the sponsor (and by extension the Chinese government), it’s not looking particularly good for Gresini either. Hopefully Gresini will quickly come out in support of their rider and treat him with the respect he deserves.

This sort of arrogant bullying should trigger Liberty (pun intended) to demonstrate their morals and Dorna’s by introducing a fit and proper person rule for sponsors and advertisers.

Any reasonable person would know, and any decent motorcycle enthusiast would acknowledge, and understand that this was a rider having a bit of fun (accepting that this is not a feature of dictatorships or communism last I looked) and treat it as such in the spirit of this sport and live and let live.

I agree the sport should support Gresini and the rider and advise the sponsor to cease and desist or take their self-serving dollars to somewhere the sun does not shine. Or, Mars.

Also, in the spirit of fair and equal treatment, ban them from becoming a manufacturer team with MGP grid slots. 

Funny how it’s “arrogant bullying” when someone is dissing your enemy (China is largely perceived as the enemy by the West) but not so much when someone is diss’ing you.

I mean how arrogant for “The West” to hold a supposed “World Championship” that doesn’t even include the 2nd (1st, until very recently) most populous nation on earth on the calendar? All the while worshipping a country that committed horrendous atrocities against them

For background, and again this is the arrogance of the West, the Japanese killed many times over the numbers of Jews killed in the Holocaust: 23 million ethnic Chinese is a conservative estimate. It was not called the “Rape of Asia” for nothing:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes

More arrogance from the West around something most of us are completely oblivious too.

Bottom line:  you are asking the equivalent of the Jews to watch someone wear a swastika headband, while expecting them to say “Yeah, we’re cool with thst.” 

I mean, the US lost a tiny fraction of the people lost to those wars, during 9/11, but would you stand by while your representative wore an Al-Qaeda headband? 

You would absolutely lose your shit, would you not? 

Given your statement of: advise the sponsor to cease and desist or take their self-serving dollars to somewhere the sun does not shine. Or, Mars.

Also, in the spirit of fair and equal treatment, ban them from becoming a manufacturer team with MGP grid slots. 

So you are effectively saying if Al-Qaeda was to produce/sponsor a future World Championship team at Laguna Seca you’d be cool with celebrating them on the podium?

And telling Americans to: “take their self-serving dollars to somewhere the sun does not shine. Or, Mars.

Also, in the spirit of fair and equal treatment, ban them from becoming a manufacturer team with MGP grid slots.”

You can’t ask the Chinese to get over it if you aren’t able to get over it.

 

 

As an engineer, funny front ends are an absolute dream of mine. If KTM can figure out how to get front end feel from carbon fiber frames, I'm certain the genius engineers can move on from the telescoping fork and single link swingarm while still delivering if not improving on the feedback riders crave.

Perhaps the Japanese can take a crack at it, since they basically have nothing to lose at this point. For example, maybe a MotoGP take on BMW's Paralever (obviously with chain drive) could solve their rear traction issues by better controlling squat. A FFE would enable much more front end design freedom- enabling variable steering ratios for more precision and less fatigue for example. Every night I pray.....

that kind of rides into what I've always wanted to see and that is, 3-4 years development in the white heat of GP racing and then withdraw.  Sadly, in all my years it hasn't happened - until now.

Basically, the manufacturers are allowed to develop the crap out of aero and lowering devices and then when they have understood everything - to ban it.  The manufacturers can live with that!  They've learnt what it can do and then it gets put on street bikes and then we remove it from GP bikes.  Great!  (is ground effect included in this BTW?)

Before it I would have added years ago;
Turbo
more cylinders in MotoGP than 4 but with the CC altered downwards.  
FF enclosed
when two-strokes ruled they should have let 4T have 6 cylinder and more than 6 speeds etc.  The Japanese were far too polite!  

But like you I wanted to see feet forwards developed by racing factories and rewarded with CC treats when it was 500cc.  

All good fun!!!

Inserting this here, as another link dump

I know we Mutterers have widely differing views on the viability of electric motorsports. Sadly, as some may have heard, Energica, which once carried the flag for electric racing under the sponsorship of Dorna and IRTA, is being forced to liquidate its assets (from Visordown "Electric Motorcycle Company Energica is Shutting Down). I do tire of finger-pointing at shortcomings in the technology. In this case at least, hard-working entrepreneurs (here, Livia Cevolini and Energica's technical team) who at least try to innovate, are themselves victims of greedy and opportunistic business operatives: a massive fraud by their "parent" company, Ideanomics.

Upon hearing this I did some digging which led me back to this press release issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) back in August of this year. It points to Ideanomics, the U.S. Company that acquired Energica in 2022, now under investigation by the SEC for multiple, serious fraudulent activities:

SEC Charges Ideanomics and Three Senior Executives with Accounting and Disclosure Fraud (https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-94)

I think the extensive details in the SEC press release speak volumes. Ideanomics executives are accused of engaging in massive fraud and self-dealing that could only lead to disaster for their investors, employees, clients, and business partners, including Energica. Ideanomics was traded on NASDQ until being delisted in July for things like claiming $260 million in sales for oil futures when it acted only as an advisor and in fact made $0 on the transaction (just one of many examples).

If there was a shortcoming on Energica’s part it may have been in due diligence (though outright fraudsters are highly skilled in … fraudulent representation!). In this case I hope the employees, and founders of Energica at least get credit for what they achieved and recognition that success was stolen from them, to the loss of all of us who shared their vision.