MotoGP Concessions Return to Shake Up Championship

During the recent Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, an intriguing development emerged in the world of MotoGP that is set to shake up the championship. In an attempt to level the playing field and support struggling Japanese manufacturers, concessions will be reintroduced into the sport.

The proposed changes include imposing limits on various aspects of competition such as tyre allocation, testing opportunities, wildcards, and engine development. These restrictions are expected to have a significant impact on Ducati, which will face the most severe limitations. Other manufacturers will also face varying levels of constraints based on their current championship positions.

On Monday, MotoGP officially confirmed the return of concessions along with specific guidelines agreed upon by all participating manufacturers. The new system categorizes manufacturers into four different groups determined by their performance during two evaluation periods throughout each season.

Group Rankings:

• A Rank: Manufacturers with at least an impressive 85% accumulation of possible maximum constructors’ points fall under this category. They will receive numerous restrictions including limited test tyres (170), exclusive private testing with test riders at only three GP circuits, no wildcards allowed, a maximum of eight engines per year accompanied by a freeze on further developments and just one aero update annually.
• B Rank: Manufacturers whose points percentage falls below 85% but remains above60% qualify for this group. Similar regulations apply regarding testing limits, engines (eight per year), development freeze, and aero updates as the A Rank. However, they are granted three wildcards and receive 190 test tyres for the season.
• C Rank: Manufacturers whose points percentage falls below 60% but remains above35% fall under this category. They will be subject to the same restrictions as B-ranked manufacturers but will have an additional wildcard allowance of six. Moreover, they will receive 220 test tyres.
• D Rank: Manufacturers with a points percentage below 35% belong to this group. They are allowed greater flexibility in various areas such as using up to 10 freely developed engines during the season, six wildcards, testing with race riders at any GP circuit of their choice, and two aero updates annually. Additionally, they can utilize up to 260 test tyres throughout the season.

It is worth noting that if a manufacturer’s ranking changes during the second evaluation period mentioned earlier, their concessions will be adjusted accordingly based on their new position.

For the upcoming 2024 MotoGP season,Aprilia Racing Team holds an A rank while Ducati,TM,and Honda find themselves in C,D ranks respectively.This new system promises to bring excitement and unpredictabilitytoMotoGP racingas teams contend within these revamped regulations.