A LITTLE OVER A year after Dorna Sports and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) extended their partnership through 2060, one key piece in the overarching collaboration is being shuttered.
Dorna and the FIM announced Thursday that the 2025 season of the MotoE World Championship would be its last for the foreseeable future. Thus will end the series’ seven-year run as a pioneer in electric motorcycle racing.
The decision indicates a shift in strategy for Dorna, which, aside from MotoE, also owns the commercial and television rights to MotoGP, WorldSBK, JuniorGP World Championship and Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship.
Launched in 2019 as a grand prix support series, MotoE was seen as MotoGP’s electric initiative. However, organisers cited “lack of traction” and “slower-than-expected market development” as the reasons behind the decision.
In a statement, Dorna said: “MotoE has not been able to gain sufficient traction within our fanbase during its seven seasons of competition, during which time the electric performance motorcycle market has not developed as expected.”
Looking ahead, MotoGP reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, confirming that from 2027 the championship will run exclusively on 100% non-fossil fuels as part of its Racing for the Future initiative.
The statement added, “MotoGP and the FIM will continue to monitor and consult the direction of the industry to ensure the sport remains at the forefront of innovation. MotoE will be reconsidered should the relevance of electric motorcycles – or any other alternative sustainable technology – increase in the future.”
FIM president Jorge Viegas said: “Today we announce the suspension of the FIM MotoE World Championship as from the end of this season. In fact, and despite all the best efforts to promote this innovative category together with Dorna, the truth is that we haven’t reached our objectives, nor has the industry associated with performance electric bikes. The racing has been really fantastic and I would like to thank all the riders and teams that have competed in MotoE, and of course Dorna. Together we look to the future and are ready to embrace any new innovations and technologies.”
Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta added: “MotoE has delivered some incredible on-track action and crowned champions and winners, playing a valuable role in MotoGP’s mission to innovate, fearlessly, and never shy away from staging something new. As we continuously strive for innovation on and off track, we must be equally unafraid of listening to our fanbase and the new audiences we seek to connect with, and observe market development. In doing so, together with the FIM, we have decided that the time is right to put MotoE on hiatus at the end of this season. We would like to thank all the riders and teams, Ducati, Michelin, our partners and all the personnel who have made MotoE a reality since its inception in 2019. Thank you for joining us on this valuable journey.”
