Dubious onlookers like the three gentlemen below in the centre of the picture and also two people in the lower left corner of this photo of the starting grid of the Spanish GP in Jerez were seen several times last year. Now Dorna is making these financially strong or well-connected people official in the future.

VIP Village: Comeback for the most important source of income

With the VIP Village, MotoGP’s most important source of income is celebrating a comeback this season. Of course, we have had the pleasure several times, but those who cannot afford it can rightly be jealous. The prices for this are usually over 1000 euros at MotoGP for more than a day. It was clear to us early in the previous year how the organizers would try to clandestinely compensate for the millions of lost viewer income due to the lack of permission from the authorities. You saw the first dubious figures at the first ghost race in Jerez in 2020 and from then on again and again without paying special attention. It is a very simple calculation how, for example, instead of 100 thousand tickets for 100 euros, you can earn just as much with a tenth of the people but ten times the price. The organizers made this calculation before the pandemic.

MotoGP’s VIP lounge can be something quite attractive – but the prices are simply a horror for an average budget. We took this picture 2 or 3 years ago, it is one of the few undated pictures in our archive.

A calculation example from the 2019 San Marino Grand Prix
Two years ago there were tens of thousands of wealthy people in the VIP area in Misano, as we learned from a very reliable source. Multiplied by an amount of 1000 euros, which is more like the base price for a VIP package for a GP weekend, you get 10 million. Because many of these luxury tickets cost twice as much, you can easily derive the horrific income from them. Well-heeled companies do this to offer their customers something special. Of course, the teams and their sponsors also have their own contingents and so amounts come together that easily correspond to a lottery jackpot. Now this luxury was officially announced by the Dorna with timpani and trumpets. Everyone should think what they want from it. Normal fans naturally fall by the wayside. At least it also makes it clear how most events can largely compensate for the lack of revenue from viewer restrictions.

VIP view in Assen photographed by us a few years ago – we have of course already been able to enjoy such packages in Brno in the main building. Drinks and food were included and available without restriction. We were of course very cautious about beer, also because from 2017 the police carried out more and more checks with alcohol tests.

Mixed feelings
In times of the pandemic, not only do we have very mixed feelings about such announcements. We still remember far too well how many viewers from the Czech Republic had to watch from behind the fences in Brno because they could not afford the horrendous entrance fees for their budget. As of 2015, the cost of overnight stays in Brno for a weekend was already in the high three-digit euro range for decent accommodation. At the Sachsenring, it can be assumed that normal visitors will not be admitted, while thousands of so-called VIP people will be admitted without hesitation. The first reports from a limited number of officially authorized viewers were wrong or referred to this special, very privileged group. If a few thousand normal visitors are allowed in on routes like Misano, there are around ten times as many losers as winners, which is also true for Spielberg. Such considerations are definitely questionable, but Dorna is used to selling all of this as a positive development.

VIP from the terrace of the main building in Jerez – in the centre of the picture is turn 4, in which Marc Marquez returned to the track after his first ride in 2020, until he later fabricated his fatal highsider in turn 3 (not visible on the left in the picture).