Updated 21 February 2026 following the announcement of the membership of the various committees detailed below.
Ever thought about who governs MotoGP?
The biggest thing fans misunderstand is “who owns it / who sanctions it / who runs the show weekend-to-weekend”.
There are a few key bodies which form the overall management of MotoGP.
Some may be familiar but there are a couple many fans have never heard of such as the IRTA (International Road-Racing Teams Association).
To help you understand how our favourite sport comes together, let’s have a look at who governs MotoGP and what are their specific roles.
Rule Makers
In MotoGP, rules and regulations are made in consultation with a committee called the Grand Prix Commission.
This includes representatives of the four main bodies with an interest in MotoGP.
They are:
- Dorna Sports (promoter)
- The FIM (Federation of International Motorcycling) the sanctioning body
- The MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association) which represents the manufacturers
- The IRTA (International Road-Racing Teams Association) which represents the teams
The Grand Prix Commission is currently composed of:
- Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, CEO)
Carmelo Ezpeleta CEO Dorna Diario de Madrid, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An example of this collaboration is an update to rules regarding higher mass brake discs required for certain tracks following riders bringing their concerns forward.
So what are these organisations?
The FIM
The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) is the sanctioning body of the MotoGP World Championship and is the overall governing body of all motorcycling sport at a world level since its original origin in 1904.
Paul Duparc (FIM Executive Director, Sport)
The IRTA
IRTA (International Road-Racing Teams Association) was formed in 1986 representing all of the Grand Prix teams as their collective voice in the decision-making process.
The organisation works alongside the FIM and Dorna to maintain high standards within the MotoGP Championship.
Dorna Sports
Dorna is the commercial rights holder and promoter of MotoGP, responsible for the championship’s commercial strategy and broadcast product – from TV production and media services to sponsorship, marketing, timing, paddock operations and event delivery.
Ownership update: On 3 July 2025, Liberty Media completed its acquisition of Dorna. Following the transaction, MotoGP sits within Liberty Media’s “Formula One Group” portfolio.
2026 corporate update: In February 2026, business reporting citing Spain’s mercantile registry stated that Dorna Sports, S.L. changed its corporate name to MotoGP Sports Entertainment SL (we suspect the “Dorna” name will continue to be widely used as the new name is quite a mouthful!).
The MSMA
The MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association) takes care of the interests of all the manufacturers involved in motorcycle racing.
The MSMA represents all five MotoGP factories and plays a key role in shaping technical regulations.
MSMA (formerly known as GPMA) was established in 1992 to represent the interests of the manufacturers involved in racing.
At A Race Weekend
At every race weekend there are several additional bodies that oversee certain aspects of the racing.
Race Direction
For the most part there is one governing body which most fans are very familiar with – Race Direction.
This group of officials have a very important role on race weekends.
They are responsible for bringing the whole event together and overseeing everything from race length resulting from weather delays, spectator issues and rider safety.
Race Direction is comprised of four representatives as follows
When making decisions each member has one vote and decisions are based on a simple majority.
As well as meeting with all riders and teams on the Friday of a race weekend Race Direction can meet at any time required during the event or even after if an incident on race weekend requires it.
This can happen in the event of a serious incident or an appeal by team or rider regarding a penalty issued.
Stewards' Panel
On a race weekend we may also hear of the Stewards' Panel of which Simon Crafar is Chairman. Simon is an ex MotoGP and Superbike rider.
The FIM MotoGP Stewards' Panel is responsible for:
There is yet another official in the mix on race day when it comes to issuing penalties and decisions and that will be the Judge of Fact. They can be appointed to adjudicate on any factual occurrence or question of eligibility at an event.
The primary distinction of a Judge of Fact's ruling is its finality.
A statement of fact from a Judge of Fact is not granted a right of appeal.
Decisions made by Race Direction or the Stewards Panel can be appealed to the FIM Appeal Stewards.
The decision can then be appealed to the MotoGP Court of Appeal.
The final right of appeal is to the International Court of Appeal (CAI).
The Safety Commission
The MotoGP Safety Commission is a key body, meeting on Fridays during Grand Prix weekends to discuss and enhance circuit safety, rider protection, and rules, with participation from riders, team representatives, and FIM/Dorna officials.
It acts in an advisory capacity to the Grand Prix Commission that has the authority to change technical and sporting regulations.
The Riders and Race Direction
It is common for us to hear riders call out Race Direction for something they would like them to look into regarding safety on the track or even another rider's tactics – when this happens it is common for race direction to look into it and make relevant calls for that weekend.
If needed the Grand Prix Commission may make more permanent changes to the MotoGP rules.
However, it has another impact on the day's events which Race Direction must keep in mind – and that is the very important time frames.
This is important due to live telecast timeslots for which Dorna are required to maintain as much as possible and when things like weather or a dreaded oil spill occur it has an impact on this.
In fact, many are calling for Superbike style rules to be put in place in MotoGP where a crash means your race is over and you are not allowed to re-join no matter how minor and there are some valid reasons why this is a good idea.
It will be interesting to see if this is something MotoGP rule makers consider in the future.
So, there you have it the bodies who oversee the running and management of MotoGP.
Together these associations, corporations and decision making bodies bring us a sensational sport we all love.
Working hard behind the scenes to bring together one of the longest running motorsport championships on the planet.
Together they do a fantastic job of making the experience amazing for spectators and ensuring it makes its way to those viewing from home as well as looking after the welfare of our favourite riders.
_-_Carmelo_Ezpeleta_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}