The British investment fund Bridgepoint announced this Monday that it has sold its stake in Dorna Sports, owner of the Spanish MotoGP, to the American Liberty Media, owner of Formula 1, for 4.2 billion euros.
As reported by MotoGP in a statement, Dorna will continue to be an independent company based in Madrid and its CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, will continue to lead the company.
“This is the perfect next step in the evolution of MotoGP, and we are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans,” Ezpeleta said in the statement.
Liberty Media will acquire approximately 86% of Dorna, while Dorna’s current management will retain around 14% of its capital. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Dorna Sports, which was about 40% owned by British private investment company Bridgepoint Group, also organizes the all-electric Superbike and MotoE World Championships.
“We are excited to expand our offering of leading live sports and entertainment with the acquisition of MotoGP,” said Liberty Media President and CEO Greg Maffei.
“We intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners and our shareholders,” he added.
The acquisition could be pending regulatory approval. CVC Capital Partners, which sold Formula 1 to Liberty in 2017, was authorized by the European Commission to buy F1 in 2006 on condition that it sold Dorna.
