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MotoGP 2016

Dorna Sports, the Spanish company that holds the rights to
both Grand Prix and World Superbike racing, reacted by
The pinnacle of motorcycle racing reaches a tipping point, as a introducing a series of measures aimed at gradually reducing
new generation of spec electronics is enforced in an effort to costs for the teams in an effort to make MotoGP appealing to
shrink costs. Add to the mix a new tire supplier and wings more manufacturers. Aprilia, Kawasaki, KTM and Suzuki had
designed to keep these motorcycles from flying, and we have all abandoned the championship’s top class, while BMW had
the recipe for an excitingly unpredictable year. considered joining in at some point, but soon opted to direct its
efforts towards more promising fields. Another secondary
The new Michelin tires are allocated in three different target would be to bridge the gap between factory and satellite
compounds: yellow stripe denotes the hardest and ... Magneti- teams. The last time a non-factory rider won a GP it was Toni
Marelli was the most popular supplier of electronic gear even Elias aboard a Gresini Honda at Estoril, Portugal, way back in
before it became the sole one The 2016 MotoGP season could 2006.
prove to be highly unpredictable
once two key parameters Results reveal some success, as
changed simultaneously Movistar Aprilia and Suzuki have both
Yamaha MotoGP Team, YZR-M1 returned with brand new
When the 500 cc GP class motorcycles, and KTM will also
became MotoGP with the return next year with a new V4.
introduction of four-stroke 990 cc Evidently the spec Electronic
machines in 2002, a lot more than Control Units (ECU) and the
just lap times changed. From the limitations on costs (engine
factory two-strokes that cost up to development freeze, limited
US$1 million in 2000, just a few engines per rider, sanctioned
years later the four strokes would testing schedules) do indeed offer
amount to several times as much. some hope of developing a
Numbers kept spiralling upwards competitive ride without
in the years to come, with the necessarily engaging in a
development of electronics and spending frenzy against the might
some technological marvels like of Honda and Yamaha.
the seamless gearboxes – for its
innovative transmission alone
Honda allegedly charged up to Two major updates mark the 2016
US$340,000 per year to lease to other teams. MotoGP season: tires and electronics.

The switch from 990 cc engines to 800 in 2007 did little to help Since 2009 the championship had relied on a single supplier,
the situation. Rather to the contrary, this move entailed high Bridgestone. After the Japanese company announced it would
development costs for the new generation of bikes and withdraw from MotoGP racing at the end of the 2015 season,
eventually ended up in shrinking the grid even further. Losing Michelin promptly took over the job.
several deep-pocketed sponsors due to restrictions on
cigarette advertising only made things worse. As all MotoGP motorcycles had evolved over a course of six
years solely on Bridgestone’s tires, the shift to new rubber
unavoidably comes with an inherent level of uncertainty.