MotoGP – MotoGP enters the era of the economy –

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MotoGP enters the era of the economy

MotoGP - MotoGP enters the era of the economy -

As a result of the crisis, the Grand Prix Commission made changes to the regulations to contain costs. Exclusively for Site, the president of IRTA and manager of Tech 3, Herve Poncharal, gives us his impression of these measures.

In an extraordinary situation, extraordinary measures: now fully understanding the effects of the current global economic slump, the major MotoGP bodies met on February 18 in Mies (Switzerland) to make notable changes to the regulations of the three categories of the championship. of the motorcycle speed world (125, 250 and MotoGP).

When necessity rules…

Shaken by the brutal withdrawal of Kawasaki (read), shaken by the progressive disaffection of the sponsors and put in competition with a Superbike championship and its provocative field of 32 riders and seven manufacturers, the premier class has decided to speed up the implementation procedures to contain expenditure.

Because the avowed goal is indeed to ensure the sustainability of all the structures present in GP, ​​but also to facilitate access to the three world championships to potential contenders (private teams and manufacturers), up to now cooled by the staggering costs practiced in the firmament of motor sport motorbike.

Consequently, consultations between the constructors’ commission (MSMA), the representatives of the teams (IRTA), the International Federation (FIM) and the promoter (Dorna) have multiplied, in order to put in place tangible proposals applicable from the season 2009. A rush that is similar to a rescue plan and which revolves mainly around reducing taxiing time, an obvious cost saving factor.

Contacted by Site, Herve Poncharal (president of the IRTA and manager of the Yamaha Tech 3 team), gives us his analysis of each of the six modifications ratified by the FIM Grand Prix commission, which will be applied from the first race of the season 2009 April 12 in Qatar (read our).

Drive less to spend less !

The new MotoGP schedules
(local times)

Friday

  • 13:05 to 13:45 : 125 / free practice 1

  • 14:05 to 14:50 : MotoGP / free practice 1

  • 15:05 to 15:50 : 250 / free practice 1

    Saturday

  • 09:05 to 09:45 : 125 / free practice 2

  • 10:05 to 10:50 : MotoGP / free practice 2

  • 11:05 to 11:50 : 250 / free practice 2

  • 13:05 to 13:45 : 125 / qualifying practice

  • 14:05 to 14:50 : MotoGP / qualifying practice

  • 15:05 to 15:50 : 250 / qualifying practice

    Sunday

  • 08:40 to 09:00 : 125 / Warm Up

  • 09:10 to 09:30 : 250 / Warm Up

  • 09:40 to 10:00 : MotoGP / Warm Up

  • 11:00 : Race 125

  • 12:15 : Race 250

  • 14:00 : MotoGP race

    • The first modification, undoubtedly the most important, concerns the new planning of race weekends (see box opposite): unanimously, the committee decided to abolish the Friday morning sessions for the three categories and to shorten their duration in the process. In MotoGP for example, riders will only have three 45-minute sessions, compared to four one-hour sessions previously..

    Undoubtedly, this novelty should allow substantial savings to be made: less time spent on the track automatically reduces costs (you should know that during tests and Overseas GPs, for example, the essence of MotoGP is sold … 11 € per liter!). This measure also reduces the risk of falls, and therefore of any mechanical repairs..

    Familiar with his driver Randy de Puniet (sad record holder for crashes in 2008), Lucio Cecchinello, director of LCR Honda, is delighted with this measure: "this could allow us significant savings in our budgets, because with each fall we risk breaking a brake disc, an exhaust pipe, titanium or carbon parts, the clutch, parts of the engine, radiators and many other things, indicates the Italian. "For us, the main effect will be on spare parts and the manufacturers will have lower costs related to engine maintenance.".

    Herve Poncharal’s opinion : "this measure was taken in consultation with all manufacturers. They are the ones who decided what it was possible to apply from this year on the 2009 machines, without the spectacle and mechanical reliability being called into question. It makes sense to limit driving times: thanks to the unique manufacturer, we were able to notice during winter tests that we needed less time to adjust the motorcycles. Previously, almost 80% of our tests focused on tires! So that’s a good thing and we are already thinking about setting up activities (visit to the pit lane, autograph sessions with the drivers, etc.) to fill the "hole" left by the elimination of the sessions. Friday morning. In the end, everyone could find their way there: the manufacturers, the teams and the spectators. Finally, driving less should save the engines and therefore be able to use them for longer, but also lower the tire allowance over a racing weekend and therefore achieve great savings.".

    Eight races with five engines

    Second major change which will come into force at the end of the usual summer break: the obligation, from the Czech Republic GP on August 16, 2009, to compete in the remaining eight races with a maximum of five engines. Additional difficulty: no change of part will be allowed except for daily maintenance! This decision – modeled on the model of Formula 1 – should really have repercussions on the cost of a season, especially for private structures which should thus see a large drop in their operating budget..

    But this radical change could also bring a zest of spice to the unfolding of the season: even if the Dorna is still considering how to apply this measure, manufacturers will no doubt have to make some changes in their engine development strategies. Indeed, to protect themselves from the risk of breakage, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Ducati may be forced to lower the performance of an engine that has already undergone two racing weekends, in order to be sure that the mechanics hold out until the end of the next one…

    Certainly, since the advent of the four-stroke, engine failures are more and more episodic. But in view of the exacerbated caution of the Japanese manufacturer, imagining that Rossi’s M1, for example, could see its engine speed slightly lowered on a test is not a challenge, the Doctor having sufficiently known his share of mechanical disappointments. during the 2006 and 2007 seasons !

    Herve Poncharal’s opinion : "once again, it is important to note that these are decisions taken in consultation with all the builders of the set. It would be absurd to think that they will voluntarily shoot themselves in the foot by proposing a measure that they are not convinced they can meet! Indeed, the risk of breakage will be slightly higher and perhaps on certain occasions, we will see a punctual leveling of the gross performance of motorcycles. But very sincerely, I am convinced that the engine manufacturers benefit from enough safety margin and experience so that this measure does not alter the good progress of the season.".

    Three technical measures

    More specifically aimed at reducing the surge in costs linked to the use of sophisticated and expensive technologies, three modifications affecting the mechanical and electronic parts will also be applied this season. On the one hand, ceramic components are prohibited for brake discs and pads: only carbon so far, the formidable (and largely sufficient!) Brake devices of MotoGP thus see a frozen development track..

    Directly in the sights for several seasons, electronic aids present on MotoGP will also suffer a slight decline this year: electronic starting assistance will be prohibited and no electronically controlled suspension system will be authorized. Good news for fans who were sorry to see the increasingly important part played by electronics in the handling of the 800.

    Admittedly, the anti-skating and anti-wheeling are still valid, but the starts should gain in intensity because the pilots will once again manage 100% of the delicate handling of the clutch and the accelerator on the grid. ! In addition, if the suspensions managed by electronics are for the moment only at the prototype stage between the manufacturer Ohlins and Yamaha (the official World Superbike riders having used this technology in particular, as well as the MotoGP test riders ), its development is necessarily costly and above all counterproductive in terms of spectacle: schematically, the setting of the suspensions changes according to the degree of wear of the tires, the filling of the fuel tank, or even the placement of the motorcycle on the track through a GPS sensor !

    Herve Poncharal’s opinion : "for 2009, these three technical measures were the only ones that could be implemented without any impact in terms of development and security. The goal is to limit the financial consequences of the technological arms race which makes motorcycles certainly more usable and faster, but also more expensive for everyone and sometimes less "sensational" for the spectator.".

    End of post-GP practice sessions

    Finally, the Grand Prix Commission looked into the case of post-GP testing: only two post-race practice sessions, after the Catalunya and Czech Republic GP, will be authorized and this only for development purposes by test pilots. Clearly, the long and tedious sessions of Monday and Tuesday will be banned and no more manufacturer will be able to work on improving its model of the year during the season. Hence the importance not to miss when developing a model during the off season !

    Herve Poncharal’s opinion : "This reduction in post-GP testing will have two major impacts: first, significant savings in equipment, personnel involved in testing (engineers, technicians, etc.), gasoline, tires, spare parts. spare parts, but also all the logistics around the circuit such as the track marshals, the rental of the circuit and infrastructure. Second, it will improve the quality of life of our pilots: regularly, a pilot falls and is injured during these sessions and the consequences can turn out to be catastrophic! In addition, they gave their all during the race weekend and these tests sometimes seem like a real ordeal! Personally, I am delighted with this decision: it is in the common interest".

    After years of pomp and glitter, MotoGP therefore seems to have realized the need to listen to each of its stakeholders in order to try to stop the bleeding stigmatized by the withdrawal of Kawasaki..

    The premier category of motorcycle sport, MotoGP is nonetheless sensitive to economic hazards, just like Formula 1, rallying, etc. Consequently, this first round of measures is called to precede others, perhaps even more restrictive, as Herve Poncharal confirms: "indeed, for the coming seasons, the committee is actively considering the possibility of reducing race weekends to two days, of imposing the use of a single engine for three races and also forcing the teams to n ” have only one motorcycle per rider"… To be continued … stay tuned !

    Alexandre BARDIN – Photos DR

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