Sepang will end the winter break to launch the preliminaries for a 2024 season which we are no less impatient to see begin. In a few hours, MotoGP will restart its engines on the Malaysian Grand Prix circuit for the first tests of the new year. It will all start from February 1st to 3rd with the usual Shakedown, which will be the first opportunity to put into practice the work carried out in the factory during the winter, in a context turned upside down by the arrival of the new dealership points...
The hunt for Ducati start again. Not only on the track, but also behind the scenes in a tense debate over technical regulations. There is only one question: how to limit the super power of the dominant brand and put its rivals back in the saddle, in order to guarantee a general balance on the track? A question that, at least in intention, finds answers in the new dealership system approved last November regarding testing, number of tires and engines, jokers and aerodynamic updates...
Le MotoGP 2024 is indeed preparing to begin its vintage at Sepang with notable changes in the concession system, aimed at limiting the advantage of Ducati and to promote competitive balance. Here are the main points of this new system:
Distribution into groups : manufacturers are divided into four groups (A, B, C, D) based on their past performance. Ducati sits in Group A as the leader, while other manufacturers like KTM and Aprilia are in group C. Yamaha et Honda are in group D.
Tire allowance : groups influence the number of tires available. Ducati, in group A, will only be able to count on 170 tires, while KTM et Aprilia in group C will have 220, and Yamaha and Honda in Group D will have 260.
In Sepang, we will have an eye on the Ducati clan with Marc Marquez in it but also on Honda which seems to be working hard
Private tests : Japanese manufacturers (Yamaha and Honda) can involve registered pilots in private tests, while Ducati, KTM and Aprilia can only bring their test riders.
Tests on different tracks : Yamaha et Honda have the advantage of testing on any track on the calendar, while other manufacturers have restrictions.
wild cards : the teams of group A, such as Ducati, can no longer count on wild cards, which limits the opportunities for introducing new configurations during the season.
Unsealed motors : manufacturers in groups A, B and C must seal 7 to 8 engines at the start of the season, while those in Band D can have some 9 to 10 without restriction of intervention. Yamaha et Honda can freely develop their engines.
Aerodynamic development : Manufacturers in groups A, B and C are limited to one aerodynamic update per season, while those in group D can make two.
These changes aim to reduce the dominance of Ducati and to encourage greater competitive balance in the MotoGP championship. At the house of Honda, we have already worked hard before Sepang by mobilizing Stefan Bradl since the WSBK test in Jerez. The German and HRC test pilot then declared: “ I have two bikes in the box with such different configurations that I have difficulty finding a rhythm. This is a functional test. The bike is out of the box and is new. I don't mean we do an engine break-in, but we have to go through different processes. The areas of responsibility in MotoGP are becoming more and more distributed because there are more and more of them. The story becomes extremely complex ».
He added: “ we will test all year round and on many circuits. Until now I had 25 to 30 days of testing per year, now it will be 40 ". As for Wildcards, Bradl revealed that Honda already has plans for the first part of the season: “ from time to time there will also be races. We requested Wildcards at Jerez (Spanish GP), Barcelona (Catalunya GP) and Sachsenring (German GP). This is the plan for the first half of the season ».
