The world of Grand Prix continues to face the terrible consequences of a global coronavirus which is having as much damage on people as on their activities. The imposed confinement hurts so much that MotoGP is working tirelessly on safeguard plans and other regulatory measures to keep its ship afloat. After the financial aid granted to private teams, here is the decision to leave the motorcycles technically as they are until the beginning of 2022. A measure of common sense in view of the situation which Hervé Poncharal clearly summarizes as follows: “ no one wants to spend money now. »
It's decided: the development of the engine and aerodynamics will be frozen for the next 2021 MotoGP season. And for good reason: the 2020 campaign has not yet started as we reach the end of the first half. Some voices, and not the least, are even beginning to doubt that there is simply a competition this year. We will therefore have to hold on, hoping for better days, the outlines of which we cannot yet discern…
If everything is at a standstill, the MotoGP decision-makers are still on the move. Because nothing would be worse than facing this Covid-19 adversity which reminds us that we are mortal... To increase its life expectancy, and in the perspective of a shortened 2020 MotoGP season, in the best case scenario, the category plans to freeze key aspects of technical development until the start of the 2022 season. Hervé Poncharal, president of the IRTA team association, confirmed this to crash.net. The objective is to reduce costs for manufacturers... Who no longer sell motorcycles at the moment.
« We all unanimously decided to keep the 2020 specifications, which essentially means we will keep the bikes that were delivered to Doha at the start of the championship ", said Poncharal. Dorna, FIM, IRTA and MSMA (manufacturers) agree on this point.
The halt in development will affect the engine but also the aerodynamic specifications, which must remain frozen until the end of 2021. This not only minimizes the development costs of the six manufacturers who will not have to develop a “new” motorcycle. There will also be lower rental costs for private teams.
Hervé Poncharal comments: " it was a very good decision. This will reduce investment for manufacturers as it means most research and development work will be completed by next year. This will help them in this difficult situation, but also the teams. »
Four manufacturers (Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki) must stick to the engine specifications that they introduced and approved at the start of the season. A maximum of two aerodynamic models are allowed per driver. Manufacturers with concessions (KTM, Aprilia) have more freedom. This way they can work on the engine and make updates during the season. Enough to take advantage of the situation to catch up with more established competitors? Hervé Poncharal don't think so: on paper the concession rule won't change, but I'm pretty sure that will be the least of their concerns. »
« Right now, the question isn't how to spend more money. I think the objective for each manufacturer will be to save their company », Explains the Frenchman. “ More development means spending more money. Nobody wants to spend money now. Everyone wants to freeze what is possible and “hibernate” for a while. »
However, a halt in development also raises concerns that it could come at a time when one manufacturer has a clear advantage or there are large differences in performance in the field. Poncharal does not see this danger and calms the spirits: “ freezing specs won't hurt the show. We have some incredible bikes for this year. The lap times in the tests in Malaysia and Qatar were incredibly tight, so we don't have to spend money on this department because we already have incredibly powerful high-tech motorcycles. Let's leave them like that. »
