MotoGP News: Maffei says Hamilton wants to buy MotoGP team

(GMM) The CEO of Formula 1’s owner Liberty Media, Greg Maffei, has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton is interested in buying a MotoGP team.

A few months ago, when it emerged that Liberty was also acquiring the two-wheeled equivalent of F1, rumors began to swirl that Hamilton is eyeing the Ducati-linked MotoGP team Gresini.

The seven time world champion, however, was very careful with his words when asked about the rumors at the British GP.

“I’ve always loved MotoGP,” he said at the time. “I’m interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven’t looked that far into it just yet. But anything’s possible.”

But Greg Maffei, the Liberty Media CEO, has now confirmed Hamilton’s very real interest in buying a MotoGP team.

“When we confirmed that we were taking over MotoGP, we immediately received calls from people saying ‘I want to buy a team’,” he said at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology conference.

“People like Lewis Hamilton.”

When asked why the 39-year-old F1 driver and others might suddenly have real interest in buying into MotoGP, Maffei added: “Because they saw what we have done with Formula 1 and they want to jump on the bandwagon.

“We would like to continue such discussions,” he is quoted as saying by Speed Week, “but now we have to wait for the EU’s approval.”

But once that approval comes, Maffei already has plans to add a second MotoGP race to the annual calendar.

“In the USA we currently have Formula 1 races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas,” he said, “so we definitely see room for a second (MotoGP) race in America.

“We sense the opportunity to do for MotoGP what we have already done for Formula 1.”