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34 QatarSport Q2.09
Mr MotoGP the big interview Dorna Sports chief executive Carmelo Ezpeleta tells Qatar Sport of the impact that last year’s MotoGP night race at Losail made in the motorcycling world, and how the launch of a new 600cc second-tier series in 2010 could well see a Qatari team in competition The staging of the first ever MotoGP night race at the Losail Circuit in Qatar in March last year was such a complex feat of technical organisation that we are not likely to see it repeated by MotoGP anywhere else in the world, says Carmelo Ezpeleta, chief executive of Dorna Sports, the commercial rights-holder of the MotoGP series. The event showcased the professionalism and expertise, which has become the hallmark of the Qatar MotoGP event since its launch in 2004. MotoGP experienced the second thrilling instalment of the night race this season in April, and there is a real possibility of a Qatar team entering its new Moto2 secondtier race series next year. Further expansion in Asia and around the world - and developing new talent from all regions - is a goal for MotoGP according to Ezpeleta, but during this season and next those ambitions will be balanced against stringent cost-cutting designed to ensure the future of the series in these tough economic times. The commitment of Qatar to its night-time MotoGP showcase, at least, is something that Ezpeleta won’t have to worry about when he considers the future of the sport, “There was a great response to last year’s race in Qatar,” Ezpeleta told Qatar Sport. “From circuits, there have been a lot of enquiries, but it is so difficult to do [night time races] nobody else will do it.” An exceptionally good lighting system was the key to the success of the race. The word “safety” is a mantra for Ezpeleta as he talks about race circuits, and at Losail last year what was required and delivered was a system that lit “every inch” of the track. It is the world’s largest permanent sports venue lighting project – taking that title off Florida’s Daytona International Speedway – and was developed and built by US company Musco Lighting in just six months in 2007. “The Qatari organisers took the decision to do it, took the proper steps, and made the development very quickly,” says Ezpeleta.The Dorna chief executive welcomes features which bring character and personality to races. He is very clear, however, that any further such developments on the MotoGP calendar would be dictated first of all by safety considerations. “In motorcycling, the rider’s body is the chassis…things must be safe. There will never be a street circuit in MotoGP!” Although the motorcycling world is fascinated by the spectacle created by the lighting technology for the Qatar MotoGP, the event had already impressed the executives at Dorna, even before 2007. Qatar has quickly shifted up through the gears since first deciding to host a MotoGP, in terms of its building of facilities and event-organisation capabilities. “This is the history of sport in Qatar. They built an incredible racetrack, which is very safe, in just one year. Their organisation has improved every year MotoGP has been there,” says Ezpeleta Q2.09 QatarSport 35
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