MotoGP under fire: was a third start necessary in Barcelona? Ezpeleta: "We had to race

What happened last Sunday in Barcelona has sparked a lot of discussion, including criticism: the historic “boss” of the Motorcycle World Championship has shared his point of view.

The 2026 Catalan Grand Prix ended with a MotoGP race that started three times due to serious crashes in the first two starts. Many believe that a third start, after two red flags caused by incidents that sent two riders (Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco) to the hospital, was not necessary. Pedro Acosta said it clearly, and he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Opinions on the matter vary, as there are also those who are convinced they had to carry on. One of them is Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna Sports).

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The 80-year-old Spanish manager shared his point of view in an interview with Curva 15, the podcast of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste (Valencia): "It’s a complicated issue, because what the body asks of the riders, and of me as well, is to stop, but we must not stop. We’ll talk about it at Mugello next week. If the track is in good condition and the riders are fine, we have to keep racing, because a very important part of the championship and its success is the spectators. Moreover, restarting or not restarting a race can benefit some and harm others. If the rules don’t change, we have to do what the rules allow. And today there is no rule that says there cannot be three starts."

Ezpeleta is aware that there may be differing views on the subject, but he adheres to the current regulations and maintains that they must be respected without bias: "I’m willing to consider everything, but we must not act on impulse. I understand that a rider may feel uncomfortable, but worse things have happened before and we still raced. It’s a topic we are always open to discussing, but it’s necessary to take all factors into account."

There is an openness to dialogue with the riders and teams, but we can imagine that changing the current rules would be complicated. Some think that since Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco were not in life-threatening condition and the track had no issues, it was right to proceed with the MotoGP race in Catalunya. Others believe it wasn’t necessary to tempt fate a third time after the first two starts sent two riders to the hospital, understandably causing concern.

Who’s right? Hard to say. Perhaps the right thing would have been to stop in Barcelona, but we know that the principle “the show must go on” often applies. Economic and television interests sometimes prevail over common sense.

The riders would like to have more say, but after years of talk about creating an association capable of protecting them and involving them more in decision-making, such a structure has still not come together. Perhaps the events in Catalunya could accelerate the process.