In MotoGP, Ducati and Aprilia, soon also KTM, seem to have a head start on Honda and Yamaha. Data collection and reporting matter even before available budgets.
About Luigi Ciamburo de Motoracing
The victory of Ducati et Pecco Bagnaia in the MotoGP category officially marks a turning point from the Japanese era to the European era. The other alarm bell was the farewell of Suzuki at the world championship, announced last April, then Yamaha lost during the RNF satellite team to Aprilia. Finally, Honda finished in last place in the constructors' standings, accumulating negative results unprecedented in its history in the Top Class.
The Japanese industry has halved its presence on the grid for the 2023 season. We will have eight Ducati, four Aprilia, four KTM, four Honda And two Yamaha on track. An imbalance that Dorna and the FIM are trying by all means to reverse, aware that the East Asian market is too large a basin for the two-wheeler market. It is feared that this is a surrender of the Japanese army, Kawasaki really not wanting to enter the world championship… The three European brands represent a third of the MotoGP field, KTM keeps Moto3 in place with its GasGas and Husqvarna brands. Moto2 has an engine Triumph (English) and Kalex frames (German) or SpeedUp (Italian). The MotoE is in the hands of Ducati which will debut with its electric prototype.
Something has certainly changed with the health crisis. Japan closed in on itself, almost isolating itself from the rest of the world, wondering if it was still appropriate to concentrate fully on the World Championship. Fabio Quartararo et Marc Marquez have repeatedly requested a change of mentality from their companies Yamaha et Honda, indicating the European model as the one to follow. Today, Aprilia et Ducati sont les équipes les plus “révolutionnaires” et réactives lorsqu’il s’agit d’introduire de nouvelles fonctionnalités et de tester des mises à jour, même pendant la saison en cours.
The work carried out in the factory becomes more important, but at the same time more detailed data is required to work. In August, Marc traveled to Japan and returned on a Honda Thanks Day visit, certainly not for an interdepartmental publicity tour. The engineering department plays an increasingly important role, aerodynamics have reached higher levels which have left the Japanese behind. We also need to make room for tools that are not always suitable for mass-produced products, such as new trim correction devices.
The Italian industry is experiencing its best moment in MotoGP, that of Japan the moment of the greatest decline in recent decades
The triumph of Pecco Bagnaia is not only the result of the individual talent of the Piedmontese, but of the solidity of a group, of the vision of an engineer like Gigi Dall'Igna. Honda et Yamaha found themselves several times obliged to copy technological innovations, but once they arrived at the manufacturer Borgo Panigale, they were already looking towards the future. As in the case of the lowering system, where rivals found it more convenient to join forces to ban the latest regulatory development. The Italian industry is experiencing its best moment in terms of motorcycling, that of Japan the moment of greatest decline in recent decades. And a single winter might not be enough to follow the GP Ducati Desmosedici. Behind this success, there are also managerial logics, with the Audi group which bought the Emilian group and diverted some of its technologies. In addition, the Reds often find themselves collaborating, and not only commercially, with Lamborghini, with Porsche (which will soon enter F1). MotoGP and SBK engineers work closely together and the work of one can prove useful to the other. It's not a question of money, but of method.
Honda et Yamaha will have to adapt if they want to fill the gap created by European manufacturers, particularly Italian ones. But KTM also wants to stay in tune with the times, after having imported some brilliant minds from Ducati, the last in chronological order being Alberto Giribuola. The former chief engineer ofEnea Bastianini will assume a central role in the development of the RC16. European manufacturers are showing greater aggressiveness in terms of research and development, investing in even half a tenth per lap to gain, risking innovations even at the cost of error. While the Japanese giants have stuck to a standard logic that is now backdated. Before, it was the giants of the Rising Sun who held court, the MotoGP title was their business, they worked with slower times. For example, if a new framework was needed, it would take several months. Now this method is no longer allowed. Or rather, it no longer leads anywhere.
The winning mentality involves continuous evolution, with the testing team working closely with the team. Engineers need a lot of data to work on the weakest areas of the motorcycle assembly. And what happens on the track must be faithfully reported at the factory, but not simply based on the sensations of the drivers. Professional personalities are needed, who know how to work in an osmotic relationship. Sophisticated software is also involved, allowing the team to transmit data to the factory with great precision.
The limit of Honda et Yamaha lies in this missing link between Europe and Japan, in the lack of synergy between the technicians on the stands and those waiting for information in Tokyo or Iwata. It is no coincidence that Marc Marquez affichait il y a quelques mois un problème de “communication”. Un handicap qui ne peut pas être résolu en peu de temps, il faut comprendre comment et où investir et quelles figures d’ingénierie sont nécessaires au département course. Un processus qui nécessite a multi-year plan and which cannot be implemented overnight.
