Closer cooperation between Formula 1 and MotoGP on the way?

The MotoGP men already made their first metres on the new 2021 machines during a test in Qatar last Friday. For Formula 1, which will not officially be in action for another two weeks, it is not that interesting, but a familiar logo was spotted on one of the bikes.

At the back of the Pramac-Ducati was a small sticker with the F1 logo. Quite unusual you might say. Motorsport.com seemed to think so too and checked with Pramac. They told them that this was done on request of Stefano Domenicali, the current Formula 1-director for Liberty Media.

Formula 1, in turn, said that Domenicali is good friends with the boss of Dorna (owner of MotoGP) and that they want to do more to put both sports on the map. Something that Domenicali's predecessor would have insisted on. So it's quite possible that this is not the only sticker.

In sober terms, it remains to be seen whether more will come of this, but in theory it could be a step in the right direction for both championships. Both Formula 1 and MotoGP could learn a thing or two from each other.

For F1, it can't hurt to take a look at MotoGP's sporting legacy. Less than a decade ago, the sport was not doing well at all and suffered from the same lack of competition between teams as Formula 1 has in recent years. Honda and Yamaha had left an unbridgeable gap to the competition.

Through a series of measures, Dorna has managed to close that gap in recent years. As a result, four different manufacturers won a race in 2020 and, with the exception of Aprilia, every manufacturer finished on the podium. For the first time since 2007, neither Honda or Yamaha were world champions, with Suzuki taking the title.

These are all goals that Formula 1 also has in mind with its new financial regulations, but there is no harm in asking advice from an organisation where this has already been achieved. MotoGP, in turn, could benefit from Formula 1's immense reach. Such a good championship deserves to be seen.