MotoGP rider slams Liberty Media over safety: 'We need to resolve the problem'

MotoGP is undergoing a transition phase currently and one that will be increasingly evident as we approach 2027's sweeping regulation overhaul. In addition to reduced engines and fully sustainable fuels, MotoGP's ownership and the FIM have also made numerous smaller tweaks to various aspects of the sport, with new regulations and restrictions being added on a near-weekly basis now.

Many fans, teams and riders alike have been concerned that too many changes in such a short space of time might not be so desirable after all. Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia was particularly vocal in warning Liberty Media not to 'change the DNA of our sport'.

However, the Ducati star's former teammate and current Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini has vented his frustrations that riders are simply not being listened to by those up top - particularly when it comes to safety.

"We have the safety commission but it’s very difficult to talk in the safety commission and be satisfied for the future, if I’m honest," He said, "Because we talk a lot every time but things don’t always change. I’m a bit disappointed about this, so this year I’ve not been to any safety commissions."

Safety concerns have often been cited when justifying the new regulations, and were even the reason Liberty gave for choosing to scrap Australia's Phillip Island circuit from the calendar - the most iconic and beloved track arguably in MotoGP history. Bastianini points out that one of the most recent additions to the calendar, Balaton Park, almost cost him his life last year:

"I’m very curious to see how the corner where I crashed at Balaton will be. If it’s the same, what can we do? We can talk, talk, talk, but we need to resolve the problem, not talk."

"We need to do something different. Three years ago we started talking about making something new for the riders, because there’s IRTA for the teams and nothing for the riders. For safety and for many other things I hope we will have something because for us it will be a different world."

Bastianini's comments echo those made by many Formula 1 drivers earlier this season as they were similarly subjected to new, highly unpopular rule changes without any consent or consideration.