Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
MotoGP: After a Long Winter
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted March 20, 2014 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing, Motorsports, Sport News
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted March 20, 2014 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing, Motorsports, Sport News
MotoGP: After a Long Winter
MotoGP: After a Long Winter
After a long winter the Moto GP season is finally here
With the first practice session in Qatar kicking off shortly under the floodlights! It has been a long dreary wait for the season of 2014 to begin; Moto GP season is the one thing we all look forward to through the winter and finally its back and its seems to me that 2014 could be the most exciting Moto GP season we’ve seen in a few years and with the rules and regulations finally in place, were are all set to go!
So, I’ve been to try to think in my head, who I think is the rider the most advantage for the Qatar race and honestly I couldn’t say. We had Valentino Rossi who won three races at the Losail Circuit and his team mate Jorge Lorenzo has won two (he also won 3 more races in 125, and 250cc categories) but Qatar has a very long straight and who does this favor? Of course it’s the Honda!
2013: Marc Marquez – Fastest lap – Honda – time 1’55, 2012: Fastest Lap – Casey Stoner -Honda Time – 1:55, 2011: Casey Stoner – Honda Time – 1:55.3 and finally 2010: Casey Stoner with the Ducati Marlboro team, but I doubt that Ducati will ever see such times again so I assume that this weekend will be dominated by yes you got it, the Hondas!
This year though, Marquez is at a slight disadvantage as he recently broke his leg during riding dirt track, the accident happened back in February and that meant he had to miss out on testing prior to the start of the season. My guess is that he wont let this stop him, he give as good as he gets and give as good as he can, we just have to wait and watch!
Lorenzo hasn’t had the smoothest start to the season either, at first he was struggling to cope with the YZR-M1’s aggressive character then he struggled with the Bridgestone tyres too. But I know Jorge and he wont let little hiccups like this hold him back, however though this does give Rossi and Pedrosa a slight advantage and maybe a bit of a better start at Qatar! Rossi has surprised us all with is ore season testing, he has bee strong and consistent so I think he is in a good position ahead of Sunday’s race
Softer tyres means we could MAYBE see Aleix Espargaro, Cal Crutchlow or Andrea Dovizioso starting from the front row on Saturday but as you all well know, ~I don’t hold much faith in this Ducati, and weather our beloved Cal Crutchlow is riding it or Santa Claus, I don’t have any faith that it will do well. Time to prove me wrong? I hope so!
So until Sunday race that’s all I have to say so ciao for now and ill be back real soon!
Emanuele Venturoli
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
Similar category
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blog
May 6, 2025
F1, MotoGP, and the Green Revolution: How Sustainability Is Transforming Motorsport Sponsorships
In the world of motorsport sponsorship, speed and performance have traditionally reigned supreme. However, a new race is underway, one towards sustainability. Both Formula 1 and MotoGP are st[...]
Read More
March 12, 2025
Moto2 sponsorship agency
As part of the sponsorship in motorsport, Moto2 represents a key piece from a technical point of view, from a communication point of view and as a transition platform to MotoGP. In this artic[...]
Read More
February 3, 2025
Alpine & Yamaha Pramac: Unlocking the Power of Cross-Industry Sponsorships in MotoGP
The recent cross-industry sponsorship agreement between Alpine and the Yamaha Pramac MotoGP team has caught the attention of motorsport insiders and fans, marking a significant shift in[...]
Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
Save time and money
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
The right information, the right choice
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the beating heart
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Objective measurements for a certain return
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
Recent posts
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blog
May 8, 2025
Rally1 Cars in 2025: Specs, Performance & What to Watch
The 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) season marks a significant shift in rally racing, with the elimination of hybrid power units and the introduction of new technical regulations. This ar[...]
Read More
May 8, 2025
WRC Sponsors: The Official Partners and Their Strategies for Success
The World Rally Championship (WRC) is much more than a competition between cars and drivers: it is a global ecosystem that attracts millions of spectators, fans and business partners worldwid[...]
Read More
May 8, 2025
WRC Sponsorship: Opportunities and Strategies in the World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (WRC) represents one of the most fascinating and challenging motorsport competitions in the world. With events held in different countries and on varying terrain,[...]
Read More