Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has branded Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP “exciting” and would welcome both series on the same weekend.
The F1 owners plan to complete a predominant takeover of Dorna Sports by the end of 2024 to become the custodian of both premier four and two-wheeled motorsport.
The move will see Liberty become the controlling party over both MotoGP and World Superbikes as it attempts to recreate the global expansion it has successfully achieved with F1.
Hamilton, who is no stranger to the world of two-wheeled motorsport having ridden both a Yamaha MotoGP M1 prototype and World Superbike-spec R1, has welcomed the news.
“I think Liberty has done an amazing job for Formula 1, the value of the teams, they can do a great job with MotoGP, it’s exciting,” Hamilton said during the Japanese GP weekend at Suzuka.
“I love MotoGP, [It] would be epic if we can have them on the same weekend, maybe I can do a race in MotoGP and race a Formula 1 car the same weekend, [that] would be really cool, [but] impossible.”
Hamilton partook in an F1/MotoGP crossover with nine-time Grand Prix World Champion and two-wheeled motorsport legend Valentino Rossi at the Valencia Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Spain at the end of the 2019 season.
Rossi was able to sample Hamilton’s 2017 title-winning Mercedes W08 whilst the F1 star had a go aboard the 2019 factory-spec Yamaha M1.
“It was so cool to be out on track and see Valentino ahead of me on the same bike,” Hamilton said after the joint demo run.
“I was a big fan of Lewis’ before but now I am even more,” added Rossi.
“We had a fantastic day where the two top classes of motorsports not only met but worked together. I felt like a real F1 driver for a day. I didn’t want the day to end.
“I also rode the YZR-M1 on track with Lewis. It was a proud moment for the team to share our passion with him.”
Those who share a passion for both F1 and MotoGP and dream of the two sharing a venue on the same weekend for an extravagant motorsport event might be disappointed as Dorna has already revealed that the prospect isn’t on the cards.
Dorna Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta recently told Motorsport.com’s Spanish MotoGP podcast that it’s “something that at the moment, for obvious reasons, is not in the immediate plans.”
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