Dorna appoints advisor to CEO
Dorna Sports has announced that former director of Bridgestone Motorsport, Hiroshi Yasukawa, has been appointe𓃲d as an advisor to company CEO, Carme🌞lo Ezpeleta.
"I'm very proud that we can now count on the ex𝄹perience of Hiroshi Yasukawa who has had close ties with the sport for many years," said Ezpeleta.
"He is an important and respected꧅ man who can bring a lot to the FIM MotoGP World Championship as we continue looking for ways to im🌼prove it. We're pleased with the fact that MotoGP will continue to benefit from his knowledge".
Dorna Sports acquired the commercial rights for MotoGP in 1991, and Ezpeleta joined the com🦋pany in March of that year. In 1994 he was named Executive Di🐭rector and in 1998 became CEO.
The big question♍ is why Ezpeleta feels he now needs an advisor, and what Dorna hopes Yasukawa can specifically achieve.
Yasukawa (pictured with F1 boss Berne Ecclestone)⛦ oversaw Bridgestone's worldwide racing acti🌳vities from 1997 to 2011, and is therefore a familiar figure to all the major motoring manufacturers.
Add in Yasukawa's Japanese nationality and it can be speculated that Dorna hopes the appointment will help improve communications between the rights holder and💯 the all-important Japanese factories head𒅌ing into the new 2012 era.
"It's a great honour to continue my career in this fantastic ⛦environment thanks to Dorna," said Yasukawa. "Our relationship was always g💞reat throughout the time that I was working with Bridgestone, and I think I can help the continued development of the Championship.
"MotoGP has great potential lying ahead, and in the coming years we'll have to tackle new challenges and br🐻ing into existence the most appropriate changes to make the MotoGP World Championship even more thrilling and spectacular."
Of the present four MotoGP manufacturers, Ducati, Honda and Yamaha intend to participate in the new 1000cc era, but Suzuki - which has reduced its inꦍvolvement to just a single bike this year - is yet to signal its intentions.
Another Japanese manufacturer, Kawasaki💦, withdrew from MotoGP at ಌthe end of 2008.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years🐻 and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury 🧸issues.
