i dont even make a point of watching it on TV anymore. I'll just catch it on iplayer a few days later, but very often i end up scrolling through some of it...i find the pit lane walk the most interesting part about the whole thing.
I think they should first be allowed a lot more fuel, an extra 5 litres a race, hell an extra 10litres if that helps. Lets face it, for the amount of Motogp races per year what difference is it going to make? For a start they won't have to spend anywhere near as much money on electronics as a lot of that goes in to engine/fuel management, it'll give the guys at the back chance to turn the wick up (or so to speak) after that I'm in agreement that they need a minimum of two tyre manufacturers, ideally 3 so it gives a really good spread and adds further discussion and variables to the whole show (practice/set up, qualifying & race distance) Just think, 3 more manufacturers all within a shout at progressing they're own tech, 3 more lots of sponsorship pulling, much more intrigue in which way riders will go on tyre choice when the lights go out...... It'd be awesome. lets face it, Pirelli, Dunlop, Bridgestone , Michellin...... They're all massive names and all what 'WE' buy every year, nobody just sticks to bridgestones on the road (I dont think) but all of them will have other interested parties who'll come along with sponsorship then you can start throwing control ecus in and letting them program code to suit any given track using any given tyre in any given condition....... That will definitely bring out the best in a lot of teams as some things will be down to really different decisions from a larger range of options, not just 'oh he's used a hard tyre....and he's used a soft' things get expensive when you narrow choice as 1 or 2 teams will throw soo much money at those smaller variables the others simply cant compete, if however you open that up at least other teams have a chance of finding a perfect combo one day and upsetting the order.
Fuel management: well, that hasn't trickled down to the common man on his superbike has it? They are worse than ever (as they make more and more power). So what's the point of the restriction in MotoGP? It's a race bike for god's sake, designed to go as fast as possible. I can't see what fuel economy has to do with it. If the bike uses more fuel than rivals, then it will be heavier and handle worse, if it needs more in the tank. That ought to be incentive enough. Running out on the last lap, or having to back off performance to finish the race is bonkers. Tyres: I don't really get this either. A tyre is a bit of the bike, like suspension, frame, brakes or anything else. You should be able to use the tyre that the bike is designed to work with. Clue: was racing better in the 80s and 90s when they were allowed multiple manufacturers? Yes. So tell me what the tyre rules have achieved. Control ECUs. Why? Once again, if you've designed your bike to work with certain kit (viz Panigale), why should you have to make it work with different kit? On the other hand, I am against automatic GPS controlled systems. The bloke on the bike should be making the decisions, not some guy in the garage. As I've said before, it's a slippery slope. When that technology trickles down, one day you'll find your bike on the road unable to exceed any speed limit, as its engine will be managed by satellites. And that will be the end of biking.
Some of you have short memories: Tyres - the main reason one manufacturer was chosen was that one track would suit one type and not the other, the riders were contracted to one company and when Michellin were stopped from supplying tyres overnight in Europe the whole thing got worse. There have been some great races over the last few years but the costs of running a top team have got out of control. A standard ECU and eliminating a lot of the electronics would get costs down, forcing the manufacturers to provide the same standard of bikes to a number of teams and a cap on spending. Some good points by Matt Oxley if you want something to read: If I was king of MotoGP and WSB... - Motorbikes - Motor Sport Magazine Rules and regs the hot topic in MotoGP - Motorbikes - Motor Sport Magazine
Haven't yet read the articles, but I would dispute the costs of MotoGP. Plenty of brands have the cash. It's still a fraction of F1 and plenty of companies are making more money than ever (read the FT stock quotes). The difficulty is in claiming that MotoGP sponsorship is what your brand requires. You need a global brand which is prepared to identify itself with bike racing. Where is Red Bull now when you need it? (doing the smaller categories). The problem is more one of MotoGP marketing itself to brands rather than costs.
Twin4me you do not need control ecu what you need is cap on max budget and let them decide what to buy.
what about no electronic interference..ie, do away with TC and the like? Back in the days of 500cc racing, there was precious little in the way of rider aids and i feel that 500cc bikes realy serperated the men from the boys.ive got no problem with racing prototype bikes. Let WSB be the proving ground for road bike technology. Bikes and F1 cars have become like fighter jets; too complicated and powerful for the humble human brain to control...which sort of defeats the purpose of racing. Id rather have the manufacturers develop whatever they like to suit the riders. Setting a financial cap on the development would level the playing field for smaller teams and manufacturers. Sure, the GP boys are the best in the world, but i dont see the battles that we used to have back in the days of 500cc or the early days of motogp..theres too much meddling every season and too may pointless rule changes. The rule changes are almost an admission that the racing is boring. The fact is, I dont even bother to fit the live coverage into my schedule, and im not really bothered who wins anymore. There doesnt seem to be the personalities in the sport anymore-its all very corporate. It always been like that (remember when Honda ordered the late Norick Abe to cut his long hair because it wasnt sending out the 'right' message?? Im surprised they havent banned earrings or tattoos. It just seems to have gotten worse in recent years. The last truly magnificent race was the Rossi/Lorenzo showdown in Catalunya in 2009.
Get rid of MotoGP - cost to much money! How many times you can watch Honda fighting Yamaha? Keep moto 2 and 3 as a pure racing ( however I find it less interesting everyone racing same bikes- Hondas engines right? ) I want to see a bike I am riding a Ducati wining or loosing ! Get those prima-donnas of motoGP to WSBK and see what happens!
All the more reason for closer, more exciting racing to attract the sponsors then, and at the moment it would seem that only stringent rule changes can facilitate that. Impossible to police. Have you forgotten the Doohan years where every single race was a procession..?
