Despite its massive popularity, MotoGP's lack of sponsorship is a looming financial dark cloud that threatens the health of the class.
Mario Ilien is the latest in a short line of Formula One migrs looking to translate four-wheel success to two wheels. A winner in F1 and Indy cars, Ilien showed up at the last two rounds of last year's MotoGP World Championship with the first of the new-generation 800s, the Ilmor X3, powered by the company's self-developed engine. He was given a hero's welcome, and why not? His team was new to MotoGP and carried the glow of F1. And he came with a very famous but silent partner, Roger Penske. Ilien had been hoping someone would be sufficiently impressed with his team to make him an offer he couldn't refuse. At one point, there was talk that KTM and Red Bull would split the roughly 10-million-euro ($13.4 million) price tag for he turnkey operation, but that hope had fallen through. Aprilia, a company that made an unsuccessful foray into MotoGP racing with a three-cylinder designed by another F1 alum, Cosworth Engineering, also had declined. So had BMW, the fast-growing European stalwart that was spotted testing what appeared to be a very racebike-looking inline three-cylinder in Spain late last year. Ilien had spent about 10 million euros in 21 months and couldn't find a single sponsor. That apparently was enough for him and Penske. "We would have needed another 6 million euros [$8.03 million] to run the team in 2007," Ilien said less than a week after this year's season opened in Qatar. "We only go ahead if we find enough money. In the meantime, we concentrate on developing the engine." He added, gloomily, "I never imagined that we would find no money at all."
Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams, the veteran rider who was hoping for a career revival with Ilmor, lamented, "I am shocked. I never expected Ilmor to pull out after just one race."Given the current financial climate in MotoGP, there's little chance we'll see the team return any time soon. The house of cards that is MotoGP financing is starting to look increasingly shaky. Declining sponsorships--and the continued exodus of tobacco money--put a number of teams' finances on the wrong side of the ledger last year. Little more than misplaced optimism had gotten a few teams as far as the first '07 race grid, but the long-term prospects may be dire.