The MotoGP commission met after last weekend’s racing and came up with a few changes for the future. Here’s the skinny:
Airbag leathers will be standard for all MotoGP racers, starting in 2018. ‘Nuff said.
Aerodynamic upgrades will be heavily restricted going forward — each rider is only permitted one change to the fairing and one to the fender (or, in Dorna-speak, the “mudguard”). This is a follow-up to this season’s clamp-down on “winglets” on fairings. So much for the series’ alleged interest in technological advancements!
Liqui-Moly is the official oil supplier for Moto2 and Moto3 for 2018-2020. Well I guess we’d better all go buy some, then!
Dorna is looking for a supplier for Moto2 ECU hardware from 2019 to 2021. The new hardware must have an onboard data logger, ride-by-wire control, have an O2 sensor, be able to handle up to four cylinders, and cope with gearshift management, traction control, anti-wheeling, launch control, and other electronic rider aid capabilities.
“So much for the series’ alleged interest in technological advancements!”
The problem, as they’ve discovered in Formula 1, is that the pursuit of aerodynamic advancements are incredibly expensive. This puts the mid-field and back-of-the-grid teams at a tremendous disadvantage because they just don’t have the financial resources to put in all the sim work. The factories then pull out all the stops and get an even bigger gap to the rest of the field.
In a series that is looking for ways to cut costs, reeling in aero is an excellent approach.