MotoGP 'can be as good as, if not better than F1', says Dorna's new CCO

Rossomondo has been brought in to replace Manel Arroyo as chief commercial officer at Dorna, having previously served as vice president of global sponsorship and media for the National Basketball Association in North America.

He was present at the Americas Grand Prix last week for the first time, with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta describing his arrival to the series as "a new era in MotoGP."

Using his NBA background, Rossomondo has set himself the goal of revitalising a world championship that aspires to seduce new audiences, to ensure a future as attractive as the one designed by Liberty Media to boost the popularity of F1 - which is now a business that generates more than 2.5 billion euros, according to Forbes data, and that in 2022 experienced a growth that exceeded 400 million dollars compared to the previous year.

“I think it’s an unbelievable property, product," Rossomondo said of F1 in an exclusive interview with Autosport. "It really is. I think we can be as good as they are, if not better. And I think we can also be different.

"I think we can be uniquely MotoGP. Listen, we’ll steal some ideas from them. We’re not afraid to steal the good ideas, but we’ll have our own good ideas and hopefully they’ll steal some from us."

Rossomondo is part of a new company strategy at Dorna to strengthen the MotoGP commercial apparatus.

The purpose of his incorporation is to regain market and screen share, and to break into the younger generations, who have shown a certain disaffection for a product with an obvious sporting value.

Race start

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The challenge is enormous for Rossomondo, who is delighted with the opportunity.

"It means a lot that MotoGP has believed in me, because that means that they believe I have the right skills to carry out this adventure," says the new CCO.

Rossomondo admits he has been kept up at night with ideas flooding to him about what he can do for MotoGP, a key factor being a desire to keep the series relevant throughout the year when there isn't a grand prix weekend.

"I want a competition that is relevant when there is no grand prix," he said. "I'm looking to keep people engaged all year round, not just at the races. Like the NFL, which has 18 busy weekends in the regular season, but they get to be relevant throughout the year."

Another way to regenerate MotoGP is by assimilating ideas from other disciplines, such as the NBA, with Rossomondo stating: "If there's one thing the NBA does better than anyone else, it's storytelling.

"If they believe in something, they will make it exist."