costcutting in MotoGP

**Corny** · 19th February 2009, 12:10

1. Standard time schedule

Friday
13:05-13:45 125cc Free Practice 1
14:05-14:50 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15:05-15:50 250cc Free Practice 1

Saturday
09:05-09:45 125cc Free Practice 2
10:05-10:50 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11:05-11:50 250cc Free Practice 2
13:05-13:45 125cc Qualifying Practice
14:05-14:50 MotoGP Qualifying Practice
15:05-15:50 250cc Qualifying Practice

Sunday
08:40-09:00 125cc Warm Up
09:10-09:30 250cc Warm Up
09:40-10:00 MotoGP Warm Up
11:00 125cc Race
12:15 250cc Race
14:00 MotoGP Race

2. From Czech GP, maximum 5 engines can be used in 8 races. No changing of parts will be permitted except daily maintenance.

3. Ceramic composite materials are not permitted for brakes disc or pads.

4. Launch control system is not permitted.

5. Electronic controlled suspension is not permitted.

6. Only 2 post race tests at Catalunya and Czech GP for development purposes using test riders only are permitted.

Cool, costcutting.. But don't they forget something?

THE FANS!! Man, I'm going to travel 700 KM to Sachsenring and what do I get? There will hardly be any training anymore

No tests anymore after the GPs? Are they joking? That's the cheapest possible way of testing, you don't have to move your people and bikes by plane

**The Phantom** · 19th February 2009, 13:25

Knee-jerk ill-considered rubbish... these changes will decrease safety, reduce the spectacle for the fans, and no doubt increase costs!!

We've had enough changes already, why not just see the 2009 season out and then decide if it's broken or not...

**neninja** · 19th February 2009, 13:47

Too little too late I fear

Most of the changes here have a minimal impact on the overall team costs.

1. Cutting time on track will have a pretty minor cost saving for fuel.
2. Everyone already has launch control so where is the financial impact??
3. I think all the teams use carbon brakes so again no financial impact - even carbon brakes cost $$$$$$ - if they were really serious about cost cutting they would have ruled that iron or steel brakes had to be used

The biggest costs are surely in bike development and the logistics of getting the team to each event and accommodating them.
Scrapping the limit on fuel consumption would have a big impact on development costs.
Likewise removing a couple of non-European rounds or grouping them better geographically within the calendar would be more effective instead.

**Corny** · 19th February 2009, 14:00

well neninja, sure you have your point on the carbon brakes, but if the bikes are limited on such things, they will go more in the Superbike direction, so I think carbon etc and all the other specialized stuff will stay on the bikes for ever in MotoGP..

What will help though is: increasing the minimum weight of the bikes, it might let the choice open for teams if they will use the extra light and expensive stuff, and they might not do it anymore.

Another thing: weekend 1: Assen, weekend 2: USA, weekend 4: Germany, Sachsenring.. Are they stupid? Assen and Sachsenring are 600 km seperated and between that races you are going to make a trip to the USA? Must be joking

My point: increase the bikes' minimum weights with 30 kilos

How difficult it is, but make some regio parts in the championship: Indianapolis, 1 week later Laguna Seca

Japan, Malaysia, Philip Island in 3 weeks, so every member of your team has to travel only 3 times..

Maybe a limit of working mechanics on the bike? They do it in WRC, so why not in MotoGP? You might get some crying riders who say they haven't got the setup, but OK

Just do NOT hurt the spectators, without us there wouldn't be any MotoGP

**Corny** · 19th February 2009, 14:05

another idea is the testing: let Dorna organize the testing during the winter, and IMO 3 3-days tests are enough. So no expensive private sessions anymore, but teams only allowed to test on 3 occasions (there might even be spectators, when every team will come to the test sessions)

during the season, it is quit helpful to test the day after the GPs, so you only have to book your team members one night extra and you don't have to fly over the stuff you have to a test location

**ChrisS** · 19th February 2009, 18:57

dropping one practice session and reducing the others will actually save the teams a decent amount on parts. fewer kms will mean a bike will need only 1 part x for the weekend instead of 2, the engine will need rebuilt after 2 weekends instead of 1 etc... It also works well with the 5 engines in 8 races rule

banning ceramic brakes and electronic suspensions are preventive measures. I'm guessing Dorna and the manufacturers believe that those were coming in a season or 2 and banned them in advance. I expect carbon brakes will be banned but it was too late to do it now.

Banning launch control wont work, the manufacturers will simply change their electronics enough to use legal versions of launch control.

Only testing after 2 races may save the teams money but having to use a test rider is odd. In terms of cost, having to bring the test team in for a postrace test will surly be more expensive that allowing the riders that are already at the track to test. Also manufacturers use postrace tests to make sure parts are ready to be used in the next race, at that point of development a tester can do very little and is up to the racers to use them and make sure that the parts suit them.

lets hope it works.

**Mach24** · 19th February 2009, 22:15

Taking away track time is a bad move.

This damages the 'sport' and takes away exposure.

I was not sure about attending my local round this year anyway, but now I have made up my mind.

Less is not more..... Less is less.

Bring on the Superbikes!

**AndyRAC** · 19th February 2009, 23:14

Oh dear, why is MotoGP shooting itself in the foot? Why do they try to ape everything that F1 does?

**maxu05** · 20th February 2009, 13:09

I must say that banning of some of the electronic rider aids is the way to go. Traction control, launch control should be given the big heave ho. As for testing time, should be limited, but, I feel that privateer teams should be given some extra testing time. By this, I don't mean that teams like Tech 3 should be able to test more, but teams like Moriwaki, Team Roberts, if they were interested in entering. It would mean that the big teams, Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and most likely to a lesser extent Suzuki and Kawasaki would throw engines and engineering advice to some of the privateer entries to enable them to test some of their latest parts throughout the season. This would benefit both the manufacturers, as well as giving the privateer teams some support, both in financial assistance and engineering advice etc, etc. This, could entice more entries from some of the manufacturers, or private teams that have been rumored to want to get into Motogp, but find the costs prohibitive. Imagine if we could have the likes of KTM,Triumph,BMW,MV, etc,etc, dipping the toe into the water. This could wet their appetite, and perhaps, as the World financial crisis, (read- media fed frenzie) dies down, we may see the biggest entry by manufacturers in the history of the sport. Wishful thinking perhaps, but, what a sight that would be. Well, what do you expect, It's 10:30 on a Friday night, 9 beers and counting,