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Dorna has announced that Kelly Brittain, currently working with the Red Bull team in F1, is to join the company has Managing Director of Global Marketing, starting in 2025.

Normally, MotoGP management changes are of relatively minor significance, but this, like the hiring of Dan Rossomondo as Chief Commercial Officer, is likely to have a major impact on the way that MotoGP is promoted and sold. Brittain is to report directly to Rossomondo, and will be charged with expanding and selling the sport and increasing the involvement of major brands in the sport.

The hiring of Brittain is a further expansion of MotoGP's commercial activities. Through it's 32-year history in grand prix motorcycle racing, Dorna has been very strong in selling the sport to TV broadcasters and attracting new circuits and new territories to host races. But actually marketing the sport to a wider audience has been an area where they have struggled. A lot of the growth of MotoGP in the early part of this century was down to the charisma and success of Valentino Rossi, whose talent and appeal transcended the sport and attracted new fans into MotoGP.

This is in part a result of Dorna's history. Set up as a company by a small group of businesspeople, with Carmelo Ezpeleta at the helm, the company had a strong inner core. But with the impending sale of Dorna to Liberty Media, Dorna is looking beyond its Catalan core and hiring talent with a global reach. If Liberty is to earn a return on its investment of over €4 billion, it needs MotoGP to expand its commercial reach, and make the sponsorship side a larger and more important part of its revenue mix. 

The impact of the impending (but still not finalized) sale to Liberty Media has been limited so far. The replacement of Manel Arroyo by Dan Rossomondo as Chief Commercial Officer was the first step toward persuading a company like Liberty to buy MotoGP. The expansion of the marketing department and the hiring of someone with the global reach which Kelly Brittain will have gained in F1 is a more direct consequence of the sale.

Whether this also marks the start of stronger ties between F1 and MotoGP remains to be seen. With international regulators still to determine whether the sale of Dorna to Liberty will be allowed to go through, such ties will need to be cautious and kept at arm's length.

What will fans of the sport notice from the hiring of Kelly Brittain? We would hope to see the sport gain a higher profile, and to see the entry of larger global brands from outside the automotive industry get involved and start sponsoring races and teams. If Brittain can manage that, and bring more money into the sport, everyone will benefit.

The press release from Dorna appears below:

Introducing: Kelly Brittain
MotoGP™ welcomes new Managing Director of Global Marketing

Tuesday, 17 September 2024

MotoGP™, meet Kelly Brittain. Moving from Red Bull Technology, Kelly lands in MotoGP™ as Managing Director of Global Marketing for the 2025 season, bringing her vast experience in marketing and brand development to the most exciting sport in the world.

After beginning her career in brand marketing within blue chip organisations including Mitchells & Butlers and Samsung, Kelly’s experience took her to Telefonica (O2) UK before she was appointed VP of Global Brand & Campaigns at DAZN. She moved to Red Bull Technology as Brand & Communications Director in 2021, where she delivered incredible results driving and monetising fan growth.

Insight-driven and fan-focused, Kelly takes on a newly-created role at MotoGP™, heading the marketing and promotion area. The most exciting sport in the world aims to transcend racing and become an iconic entertainment and lifestyle brand.

Kelly Brittain, Managing Director of Global Marketing: "MotoGP is, deservedly, one of the most prestigious brands in sport and I'm thrilled that I will be working with the team to elevate the sport and expand the fanbase globally.

"Everything starts with the fans; understanding why they engage and what this sport provides them. Our aim is to amplify this on a global scale to unlock brand growth, which includes driving MotoGP’s presence across different media, cultural spaces and demographics the sport is yet to reach.

"There are already fantastic foundations in place across fan engagement, CRM, social media, as well as the strong working relationships with the teams and promoters. Our mission is to build on this and break down any barriers to engagement and growth. The ecosystem around sports has grown exponentially, with so many access points for both new and established fans, be that content, the proliferation of social channels, merchandise and brand collaborations. Working to maximise this for MotoGP is a really exciting prospect and it’s a privilege to be joining this exceptional team to drive this next chapter of growth and success."

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: "We’re delighted to welcome Kelly to MotoGP. Marketing and promotion is our number one area of focus as we build this new era for the sport, putting both current and future fans at the centre of everything we do, and we know creating this new role and hiring a talent like Kelly will be a huge asset.

"MotoGP is a global property with a fanbase of 500 million, but we want more. The diversity in our audience will only be rewarded as we build our team to reflect different experience, backgrounds and expertise in our mission to expand this incredible sport. Kelly is a big asset for us, with a proven track record, and brings a lot to the table. Having got to know her during this process, we know she will not only bring professional excellence and experience, but also be a fantastic person to work with as we aim to make MotoGP a household name – everywhere."

Kelly will take on her role for the 2025 season and be based in Madrid, Spain, reporting to Chief Commercial Officer Dan Rossomondo.