#MotoGP: “The Riders Are Gladiators. We Just Don’t Tell It That Way Yet.”

The racing is wild. The athletes are elite. But MotoGP’s storytelling is stuck in second gear — Richard Coleman wants to fix that.

Richard Coleman

The Lowdown - Inside MotoGP’s $4.8B Rebuild

Richard Coleman and Guenther Steiner have just stepped into motorbike racing’s most electric chapter. With their acquisition of Red Bull KTM Tech3, Coleman becomes Team Principal, reshaping a storied outfit long defined by Hervé Poncharal’s leadership. But Coleman isn’t a newcomer to motorsport — he’s spent over a decade between touring cars, sports management, and complex deals. Now he’s placing his bet on two wheels.

Teams in MotoGP are being recast — no longer just race crews, but commercial assets. The independents already turn a profit. The challenge: scaling the sport, widening its reach, and turning those teams into brands. Richard understands both sides: the speed, and the balance sheet.

“They literally defy physics”

Motorcycle racing exposes its fragility. Riders lean 60°, scrape bodywork, push 236 mph. There’s no suspension of disbelief. You don’t imagine yourself in that cockpit — you see someone else doing what you can’t.

Richard wants to play to that awe. It’s visceral, pure, uncompromising. It elevates the sport. But only if you get more people watching.

“These guys are doing 236 mph on a bike, rubbing shoulders with each other. They literally defy physics.”

“In 2016 … the teams were race teams who are becoming businesses”

MotoGP today resembles F1 circa 2016: rich in performance, thin on commercial structure. In F1, cost caps and governance reforms changed everything — teams went from struggling operations into valuable franchises.

Richard sees MotoGP at that inflection. He and Gunther aren’t waiting for an external savior. They’re here because they believe the sport’s fundamentals support that leap.

“MotoGP teams are race teams that are becoming businesses. Eventually businesses will become franchises.”

“The independent teams … they all make money”

This is his ace up the sleeve. The six independent teams in MotoGP reportedly operate in the black. That’s a stark difference from F1’s history of teams being subsidized indefinitely.

Manufacturer outfits run off R&D budgets; independents squeak by on Dorna’s support, sponsor deals, and OEM partnerships. That mix is fragile — but it’s real.

“All six independent teams are profitable. That’s very different to where Formula 1 was.”

“These guys are in the arena”

In MotoGP, danger and storytelling live on the same axis — but the latter hasn’t caught fire. Riders crash, hurt themselves, get back on the bike. That’s not the exception. That’s the expectation.

Richard wants to shift perception: make every rider a protagonist. He wants the stories that move people — not just the stats, but the scars, the grit, the comeback. Because in markets where there’s no home‑grown hero, audiences stay indifferent.

“I watched a guy dislocate his shoulder, pop it back in, and go back out. It’s just so normalized here.”

“The bond is another level”

There’s no radio in MotoGP. When a bike crashes, the pit wall waits in silence. No signal, no update. You hope the guy walks it off.

That intensity demands deeper trust. More than engineering, it’s psychology. If a setup gives a rider confidence — even if it’s not optimal by the numbers — you favor confidence. Coleman knows that balance: mentoring, managing egos, nurturing belief.

“You have no idea if he’s okay. If it gives the rider confidence, that matters more than theory.”

“It’s a Galapagos economy”

Here’s where Richard’s outsider status helps. MotoGP has evolved in isolation — specialists working within a closed loop. Tradition is often the default answer: “we’ve always done it this way.”

His questions — “why not?” and “what if?” — push cracks in that shell. With Liberty now at the helm, change is more plausible. But internal resistance is real.

“Some things have just always been done that way. That’s the answer. It’s not closed, but it’s developed in its own world.”

“We want to bring in lifestyle and luxury”

To grow, you need new sponsors and new categories. The paddock’s typical partners — oil, parts, gear — won’t expand the base. Coleman sees the overlap between high-end bikes and luxury goods. A $25K superbike isn’t everyday transport. It’s a lifestyle purchase.

He wants brands that activate across channels, tell stories, reach beyond race days. Because exposure is the fuel for growth.

“A £25K superbike is not blue collar. It’s a luxury item. MotoGP needs brands that help it grow — not just pay a fee.”

“These things take longer than people expect”

When Liberty revamped F1, it didn’t overnight turn into a $30B industry. The changes happened piece by piece — governance, media rights, cost controls, branding.

Coleman knows that. He inherited a team that’s capable on track. What’s missing is scale: marketing, brand partnerships, narrative, global expansion. Right now the team has two marketers. Red Bull’s F1 outfit has 100+.

“We can’t run before we walk This isn’t just racing. It has to become a business.”

What’s Next

What’s MotoGP’s biggest risk?

Staying stuck in Southern Europe. Without expanding audiences and rider pipelines globally, there’s a ceiling.

How do the teams make money?

Start money and logistics support from Dorna, sponsors, and OEM backing — not prize money like F1.

What needs to change first?

More commercial staff, more brand partnerships, more visibility for riders.

Where should MotoGP race next?

India — huge two-wheel culture, untapped market.

Is it worth $12B in five years?

No — but close. It won’t be linear. Growth takes time, structure, and global relevance.

Does money equal success?

It helps, but it’s not everything. Plenty of teams with cash have failed. But few win without it.