MotoGP confirmed as 1,000cc series from 2012
Added on Friday, December 11th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
MotoGP confirmed as 1,000cc series from 2012
The FIM and MotoGP promoters Dorna have confirmed that the championship will move to a 1,000cc series in 2012.
After a month of speculation, it has been confirmed today that the MotoGP championship will scrap the 800cc prototype format at the end of the 2011 season and move to a 1,000cc championship using both prototype and modified production machinery.
The current 800cc format was reduced in 2007 but has been roundly criticised by riders and fans, who have claimed that the smaller engines place a greater emphasis on electronic aids, leading to an increase in “processional” racing. Teams, manufacturers and promoters have also criticised the format, due to the costs involved in developing 800cc prototype engines.
The decision has been taken largely to reduce costs in the series, with fears that escalating costs are putting privateer teams under increasing pressure. Whilst a number of small-scale cost cutting measures, such as testing bans, single-make tyres and reduced practice time have been successful, the cost savings have been relatively minimal. The move to 1,000cc however is likely to significantly cut down on development costs, with all of the major manufacturer’s currently producing a 1,000cc engine that would either be eligible for the new series “out of the box”, or would need minor modifications to meet the new regulations.
“The main changes we have decided on are new rules for the MotoGP class,” said FIM President Vito Ippolito. “We will have four cylinder engines, 4-stroke of course, with a 1000cc maximum, and the bore of the cylinders will be 81mm. This base will give all the manufacturers the opportunity to start work. At the beginning of next year we will produce the new rules in a more complete format, but that is the basis; 2012 will be the year of a new era of MotoGP.”
Dorna Sports boss Carmello Ezpeleta added: “It was a very important meeting to decide the future of the MotoGP class. From 2012 the bikes will have an engine capacity of up to 1000cc, have up to four cylinders and the maximum bore will be 81mm. It’s a very important measurement because with this we can have all the characteristics of the engine. This has been approved and between now and the start of the 2010 season we will have another two meetings to define the rest of the specifications for this new class.”
