This is a post that we did not expect from a big investor in MotoGP. A position which is – due to the highly strategic economic posture of its author – anything but neutral. This is Repsol, which echoes its partner Honda in changing the regulatory situation currently in force in the premier Grand Prix category, and which has been perfectly exploited, in the noble sense of the term, by Ducati in particular, and, now, Aprilia. Two brands which put back on its pedestal the European label that the Japanese coats of arms had torn to shreds in the second half of the last century. The latter are now dominated and it is visibly unbearable for the one who is first in the world. He has a major ally in Repsol which also reminds, by inviting itself into the landscape in this way, that whoever pays the orchestra chooses the music...
Because all the same, when we read this post Repsol, there is a threat looming. And this certainty: when the Spanish brand does not win with Honda, it's suspicious. In this intervention, we take out the files that we thought we would classify. At first glance, it is implied in a slightly biased history of MotoGP that the world titles of Valentino Rossi are in a way “cardboard”: “ Not everyone had access to the same type of tires, not even drivers who worked with the same supplier. Custom tires were made based on telemetry data collected on the first day of testing. This is what Michelin has done for several seasons in European racing on certain occasions, working against time at its factory in Clermont-Ferrand (France) to send a new batch of special racing tires for Valentino Rossi on Saturday evening in fast road service ».
Vale thus dressed again, Repsol attack on the abomination brought legally by Ducati and Honda wants to see it disappear, but also a little KTM : the fins. The speech about them sticks to the HRC line: “ this season the situation has worsened to the point that it is more and more complex to exceed. The implementation of new technologies, such as the massive use of aerodynamic elements, or systems that modify the height of the motorcycle to gain acceleration efficiency, make overtaking more and more difficult. You no longer depend solely on the potential of your engine and your skills. You drive faster and brake in less time, making it much more difficult to gain enough time and meters to complete the overtaking maneuver safely ».
But it's not just that. Repsol also wants to save the integrity of the pilots: “ An essential detail of this technology is its influence on the physical appearance of pilots. Muscular injuries to runners' forearms are becoming more and more common, a problem common to most riders. Much of the blame for this discomfort lies with aerodynamics. Spoilers and other devices that apply a significant load to the motorcycle make motorcycles physically more difficult to ride ". We regret that Repsol does not base its certainties on statistics effectively demonstrating a worrying inflation of compartment syndrome which is also a pitfall for Moto3 and Moto2 drivers. We could also call Repsol on how the integrity of Marc Marquez has been managed since his serious accident in 2020 at Jerez, but that would be going into the same swampy terrain as with Red and its Michelin tires.
Repsol is remaking history and would like to rewrite it in Honda ink
And then there are the unbearable contradictions. How can we therefore argue that MotoGP has “ lost his fighting spirit » while, at the same time, it is affirmed that “ races are no longer won by large margins of seconds, now, victory or the podium is decided by a few tenths or a few thousandths of a second ". And also that “ technology has made the qualifying session vitally important, as a position behind the grid will dash racing aspirations. But, on the other hand, withdrawing forces you to be combative to catch up, and in many races we witnessed spectacular comebacks which spiced up the competition ". Everything and its opposite but one constant all the same: the Honda Repsol is behind, seeing from afar a spectacle in which she is no more than an extra even though she pays handsomely for it.
This is therefore the heart of the subject and what should be taken as a warning shot comes out in a situation which is not insignificant. It demonstrated that a distant boardroom in Japan could end the party without notice. For now, it was a matter of Suzuki. But tomorrow ?
Yes by the way, what about tomorrow? First it will be necessary that Marc Marquez comes back, and it is another barely disguised warning thus sent: “ it's easy to understand why we miss Marc Marquez; ambitious and non-conformist, he has always distinguished himself by his continuous struggle for victory, trying until the last turn when he has the opportunity. With him in optimal shape, combativeness and spectacle are guaranteed ". With Fabio Quartararo deploying all his talent to escape with his frail Yamaha to the pack Ducati, apparently, we are bored. At least at Repsol.
The lines will undoubtedly be read and analyzed by the compatriots of the energy supplier by his compatriots of Dorna, including, of course, Carmelo Ezpeleta. If we want to make a clean slate, there are only two solutions: make a super Moto2 in MotoGP, or a motorcycle with an almost unique frame with identical mechanics for everyone. Afterwards, what does it matter if we find the manufacturers' inscriptions on the fairings. For the record, in the intermediate discipline, the engine Triumph makes the Yamaha and KTM names ride prominently on the bikes. In this sense, with eight motorcycles out of 24 and soon the official supply of the MotoE field, and as its motorcycles are the calamity of this sport according to Honda Repsol, Ducati could fulfill the mission.
The other solution would be to completely redo a regulation. This would cut the wings like the ailerons Ducati et Aprilia and would put back Honda at the top of the food chain because the Tokyo manufacturer alone has the economic and financial power to start from a blank slate. Science fiction, conspiracy theory? We would like to, but this release from Repsol, which is as much an indictment as the affirmation of a competitor who is a bad loser, is anything but gratuitous.
