Yamaha supports further growth for MotoGP, but Paolo Pavesio has warned that a changing championship must not leave its established audience behind. The Yamaha MotoGP boss wants the series to become bigger without reaching a point where current fans no longer recognise themselves in it.

The debate comes as MotoGP undergoes a broad reshaping. Following Liberty Media’s €4.2 billion takeover in 2024, the championship has pursued new fan initiatives and an expanding calendar. The 2027 season is also set to bring changes to the race-weekend format alongside a major technical overhaul.

Teams have gained greater prominence in the paddock, while Moto2 and Moto3 have received less visibility as MotoGP is positioned as the principal attraction. Pavesio does not reject the search for new followers; he regards it as an opportunity, provided the series develops with restraint and keeps its existing identity intact.

Manufacturer investment has a direct commercial purpose

Pavesio points to a fundamental distinction between MotoGP and Formula 1. The main investors in motorcycle racing are the manufacturers themselves. If the total investment in the sector is represented by 100, he said, the five MotoGP manufacturers account for 70%. Their purpose is not simply to associate their names with a lifestyle proposition: Yamaha’s Pavesio says they invest to sell motorcycles.

He also considers the 2027 technical change to be the right direction. The new machines will remain extreme, in his view, but should be somewhat “more humane”, with the potential to improve the spectacle. Questions about individual devices and whether they should be introduced or banned can be addressed later, he said.

That leaves MotoGP with two objectives to balance: attracting new audiences while remaining recognisable to the people who already follow it. Pavesio also stresses that MotoGP manufacturers make practical products such as scooters, creating a closer link with everyday mobility than the more distant commercial relationship associated with Formula 1.