Title says it all. Can MotoGP afford to reduce the number of riders on the grid from 22 to 18, after striving so hard to get the numbers up ? Acosta would be a loss without a doubt but I’m not sure I would miss Vinales, Bastianini, or Binder. We have already seen the (boring) drawback of 8 Ducatis on the grid and I don’t think Aprilia, Yamaha or Honda would want (or could afford) to put pressure on their budgets by fielding another rider. This is potentially going to send shockwaves through the sport, it could even affect the buy out by Liberty Media. Andy
Great timing to sell MotoGP…… Auto makers are under extreme financial attack from better, cheaper Chinese EVs and face possible extinction like the British car industry fifty years ago. As EU & UK head for recession, discretionary luxury productions like sport and adventure bikes will come off the 2025 shopping list adding to already falling sales for all motorcyle manufacturers. Suzuki may have been the canary in the coal mine. Top flight racing may be a casualty simply due to the excessive cost and disconnect from sales on Mondays. So, yes, MotoGp looks at risk.
There will always be racing. Two wheels, four wheels, animals, whatever’s It’s human nature. Folk moaned and still do about the demise of 500 two strokes and we’re still here. I genuinely believe the last year or twos been as good as it’s been since vr46 retired. When one door closes another one opens etc… Enjoy it.
Liberty will most likely change MotoGP into F1 with two wheels. I was reading an article earlier about BMW & Suzuki being interested in a return to the series. Yet the article focussed more on what would those teams return do for the series and how would that affect the prize money, advertisers & such like. Also the potential to charge any new teams millions just to participate. F1 and perhaps MotoGP is well on its way to becoming a fixed number of franchises -all available for a certain minimum entry fee- strictly controlled and marketed just like American Football. Which is where the franchise idea came from...
I don’t think that Liberty deals done and dusted by any means but rules and regs change and innovation + the best racer will always prevail. Look how close it’s been this season, not just the points but the times that separate the riders. It’s been milliseconds at times. Can’t understand how people can’t enjoy it and marvel on it for what it is and will likely continue to be with or without KTM/suzuki etc..
Do you not think that preventing more entrants potentially degrades the advancement of the bikes? The strict control and governance does bring some positives, yet the biggest gain appears to be for Liberty's balance sheet. Consider what could happen to MotoGP with a policy of not allowing new teams to form and compete "relatively" easily? Imagine a scenario where Ducati goes bust or pulls out of the series at short notice? It also affects the competitors. How many more drivers like Franco Colapinto are there unable to get a drive in F1, whilst Libertys push to have an American perhaps meant Logan Sergeant was only sacked because he continuously crashed?
From what I’ve read it’s not possible, without significant financial penalty, for a team/manufacturer to simply pull out. I believe they enter into a contract to compete for X years and if they wish to pull out then they have to pay to break that contract. KTM is an example of that. To all intents and purposes KTM is bust, yet, as they struggle to save the company they remain in MotoGP for 2 more seasons, the drain their financial resources being less to stay in than to withdraw. I’m sure they’d love to withdraw but simply can’t afford to if they want to save the company as a whole. An option open to them is to agree with MotoGP their contract can be assigned/sold to AN Other eg BMW or Suzuki thus avoiding the financial break costs for KTM and keeping the grid at the same number of riders/teams. As an aside I could never understand the logic of KTM being in MotoGP, other than RedBull wanted exposure to the motorcycle sector and wanted a fellow Austrian company to do it for them. From KTMs perspective they don’t even make superbikes for the road.
I read somewhere that BMW and Suzuki (again) wanted to join Moto GP, but that would mean two teams having to drop out to make way for them.
Years ago I wanted an RD500 because it was the closest thing to what the GP riders had, then I wanted an RC30 as it was a road version of a race bike. Even bikes that had zero links to race bikes would share the colours and logos and as a young bloke that’s what I wanted. Now the sports bike share of the market is tiny so that link has disappeared for most riders. I guess it comes down to why they do it, purely to develop new tech? (Unlikely), purely advertising the brand (again unlikely), for shit and giggles/ vanity project (possible), but most likely a bit of ll three and lots of other considerations as well. I would guess, and it is a guess, that brand awareness is the major push for most companies so it comes down to how value they see it as adding in an ever decreasing share against a surging Chinese industry.
I think you are correct about the contractural conditions to race, but if there were a thriving pool of teams competing to qualify, none of that would matter. It might also allow more new faces to enter the series as competitors, team members/ engineers and owners- which would likely bring more good than bad imo. I can see why owning F1 & MotoGP has benefits for Liberty and also some for the series, but is it also strangling the the very principle of racing & bringing in new talent?
I'd be excited to see a new Chinese team on the grid, and just as happy for them to win as any other.
Me too! Would really shake things up a bit I think. The feelings towards Chinese bikes seems very similar to what happened towards Jap bikes when they were first available. I grew up in the 70s and my Dad had a Honda 400/4 as a commuter (he never passed his car test) and I remember our neighbour had a Norton Commando and looked down on my Dad for having a Jap bike. That Commando would turn itself around on the centre stand when warming up and he was always working on it seemingly for a different problem every time whereas my Dad never touched his beyond basic servicing. To be fair Stuart was a top bloke and taught me loads when I started working on my own bikes but the difference between British and Japanese stuff was night and day at the time. I think the Chinese have the resources to really make a mark if they did decide to enter MotoGP, but does it fit with what they want? Less sure on that. I don’t care who makes the bikes if the racing is exciting.
The Chinese don’t have the history or the technology so would have to buy, align with an established manufacturer, borrow or acquire what is needed. IMO, short term let’s see how they get on in their second season of Moto3 next year and then see where that experience can take them. Andy
Ten years ago they weren’t making EV cars or their own design ICE cars in any numbers and look at them now. They started off with copying other manufacturers then went their own way. The question is do they want to get into motorsport in a big way? If the answer is yes then they will buy in the tech and talent and have far deeper pockets than anyone else I would imagine. Could be an interesting few years if they did but can’t see it myself.
Surely if KTM cease to exist then they will no longer be able to race. Cease to exist would only come about if no rescue or takeover package is achieved. I put money on the Austrian govt bailing them out.
The Chinese never really put anything into the Olympics, then they started to play table tennis and thrashed everyone. They’ve come a long way since then and are a major force. They are pushing ahead with football too, and dabbling around F1 periphery. They competed in the Americas Cup -were not last- and that’s a very tough series. Now they also have super wealthy business men & women, who will perhaps want to show off like our own western ones do.? Personally I expect them to come into these top flight sports with a big budget and win, in the not too distant future.
