The Federation of Motorcycles in Portugal has just awarded Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta with the Medal of Motorcyclist Merit.
The organization awarded Ezpeleta the Medal of Merit before the MotoGP took to the track in Portugal for the third round of the 2011 MotoGP season.
"Our Federation and the Estoril Circuit are indebted to Carmelo Ezpeleta, who has helped and supported us since 1999,” said Jorge Viegas, President of the Portuguese Federation of Motorcycles. “He has greatly contributed to the success of our MotoGP events in Portugal. On behalf of 'Federação de Motociclismo de Portugal', I am proud and pleased to present the Medal of Motorcyclist Merit to Carmelo Ezpeleta for his support throughout these years. To give him this award here in Estoril is also symbolic, as it was with a round of the FIM World Road Racing Championship here that we reopened this circuit in 2000."
The Portuguese Federation of Motorcycles celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010.
"It's a great honour to receive this prestigious medal of merit from the Federação de Motociclismo de Portugal,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports SL CEO. “Working alongside the Federação has been instrumental in making the Portuguese Grand Prix a great success, with crowd figures continually increasing since the first edition of the event. The 20th anniversary of the FMP is the perfect opportunity to highlight the excellent work done in Estoril - the circuit has provided some great action to all MotoGP fans. I’m thrilled with this award and look forward to another successful race this weekend."
