Carlos Ezpeleta promoted to MotoGP deputy CEO amid leadership overhaul
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 25, 2026
Carlos Ezpeleta promotion
MotoGP Group elevated Carlos Ezpeleta to deputy chief executive officer and kept Carmelo Ezpeleta in place as chief executive officer, a move that gives the championship a new top deputy without changing the man at the top. Carlos Ezpeleta had most recently served as chief commercial officer and had worked on the championship for more than a decade. MotoGP said the appointment recognizes that stretch of work and the role he played in helping the series grow beyond its core base. The company tied the move to his work expanding MotoGP’s international reach, strengthening partnerships and improving the championship’s commercial business. It also credited him with helping make the series safer and more competitive. The promotion is part of a broader effort to strengthen the leadership team inside MotoGP Group, which said more additions are expected later. That gives the announcement weight beyond a routine internal move. It shows a long-time executive moving into a wider role while the company keeps continuity in its top leadership. MotoGP chose an insider who already knows the championship’s business and competitive goals, and it did so at a time when the organization is building the next layer of its executive structure.
MotoGP growth
MotoGP said Carlos Ezpeleta’s promotion reflects more than a title change. The group pointed to the work he has done over the last decade-plus as the sport pushed to grow its profile in more markets and deepen its business relationships. He has been part of the effort to expand the championship’s international reach, a task that has become a central piece of MotoGP’s wider strategy. The series has also leaned on stronger commercial partnerships, and MotoGP said Ezpeleta helped push that side of the business forward. That included work aimed at improving the championship’s commercial operations while keeping the racing product stronger on track. MotoGP also said he played a part in making the championship safer and more competitive, two priorities that sit at the center of any major racing organization. The appointment suggests the company sees those areas as linked. A stronger business, broader visibility and better racing all move together. MotoGP’s decision to promote a longtime executive from inside the championship keeps that work in familiar hands. It also gives the organization a leader who has already been involved in the key areas the company wants to keep developing.
Leadership support
Carmelo Ezpeleta and Liberty Media chief executive officer Derek Chang both backed the promotion, saying Carlos Ezpeleta’s experience and vision make him well suited to help lead MotoGP’s next phase of growth. That support matters because it ties the move to both the existing leadership at MotoGP and the company’s wider ownership structure. It also shows the promotion has the backing of the people shaping the sport’s future direction. Carlos Ezpeleta responded by saying he was “honored” to take on the new role. He said he hopes to help MotoGP reach new audiences and expand opportunities with Liberty Media and the wider racing community. Those remarks line up with the path MotoGP says it wants to follow, one built around growth without losing the business base it has already established. The group said more leadership additions are expected later, which points to an ongoing build inside the organization rather than a one-off personnel move. For MotoGP, the promotion of Carlos Ezpeleta is both a reward for a long run of work and a bet on continuity. The championship is keeping Carmelo Ezpeleta at the top, putting another Ezpeleta in a larger executive role and signaling that the next stage of growth will lean on people already inside the system.
