A while back I wrote about how quickly things change in MotoGP, while at the same time remaining the same. Today I wanted to talk about how tough the racing business is. In the US, most people follow ball-and-stick sports, though there are some ardent fanatics of NASCAR.
The business of racing a vehicle, whether on a track or dirt, is an expensive proposition. This is one of the reasons you often see racing drivers/riders covered up with sponsor decals and long family racing dynasties. Any sponsor is a good sponsor, which is the reason you often find an alcohol logo next to a kid’s snack logo. Anything and everything is taken in racing. The cost of racing is so high, that it makes sense that drivers/riders will accept the money of anyone willing to shoulder some of the costs. At the lower-levels of racing, even when emblazoned in sponsors, a larger portion of the cost will still be bared by the driver/rider (or their family).
If you want to be a successful racer, money is the most important, and more so than sheer ability. There is a famous saying “I’d rather be lucky than good” in racing, you could update it to “I’d rather be rich than good“. Money buys luck. How, you ask? When you are at a racing event there are various challenges you have to contend with:
- Equipment. This includes the vehicle, and all of its spare parts. In addition to safety gear like helmets, gloves, suits, etc.
- Transportation. This is probably one of the biggest portions of a racer’s budget.
- Mechanics. Having a qualified mechanic can literally decide whether you get to race or you do not. You may show up to a race with a perfectly working machine, but “rubbing is racing” and sometimes the rubbing results in a vehicle that needs fixing. Without a qualified mechanic you may end up a no-show at the event, lap last.
All of the above can be mitigated with money. If you have money, you can buy better equipment and spare parts. You can also pay for a transport large enough to carry all of this to the track, while being able to afford the best mechanics around.
A mediocre driver/rider can perform at a level higher with money. A more skilled driver/rider may still beat him or her, but only if said driver/rider can mitigate items 1-3. This better driver/rider, can lower your cost requirements by taking better care of his/her equipment, but to make it to the top you need money. Lady luck has been known to strike at the most inopportune of times, those times when the big sponsor shows up. Those are the times when the better driver/rider ran out of luck and didn’t have a spare to make the race. Those are the times when money bought the mediocre driver/rider another opportunity to make to the main event and take part.
Which brings me to the catalyst of my post. This year has been a tough year for two of the greatest motorcycles racers in history; Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi at the age of 40 is currently the most successful racer in modern history (Agostini raced in an era when racing was a hobby), with 9 titles in total, 7 in the premier class. Lorenzo, until Marquez showed up, was the most successful Spanish rider having won 3 premier class and 2 medium class world titles. And yet, for all of their achievements and past success, it looks like next year will be their last. Both riders are being outdone by younger, hungrier riders.
Rossi and Lorenzo demonstrate the importance of money, even at their level. Rossi is 40 years old and has not been a title contender for a few years already. His most recent world title was in 2009, 10 years ago. Lorenzo on the other hand is only 32 years old, and won his last world title in 2015. Last year, aboard the Ducati, he won 3 races. And yet, both riders, one with more success than the other, are in the same position? How? Money. Rossi is world-famous. If you go to an event, there is more yellow than any other color (Rossi’s marque). Rossi’s name helps to bring sponsorship dollars to a team.
Lorenzo on the other hand, is not as popular. He does not have gravitas of Rossi to bring in sponsorship money. In fact, word was he is getting paid $500K per year to ride the Honda, versus his peak of $10mm per year at Ducati the year prior. Talent is important, and the cream does rise to the top. But the cream requires time to nurture, and money succeed.
