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FIM, Urged to Reduce Costs in the MotoGP

Several voices within the MotoGP paddock have urged the International Motorcycle Federation to follow FIA's example and introduce a new set of cost-cutting measures for the upcoming seasons. According to Fausto Gresini, owner of San Carlo Gresini Racing in the MotoGP class, the international body should take immediate actions to reduce costs inside the sport to prevent team losses.

“If F1 felt the need to find some limitations, then we must do that too. We can't wait until the crisis becomes too bad before thinking of some measures, also because little can be done for 2009. We must talk and try to think which way to go. The objective should be reducing costs by 30 per cent,” insisted Gresini in an interview for Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

Gresini's outfit is currently using customer Honda bikes for the upcoming season. However, the costs sustaining an independent team rise up to almost the same amount as a works' team. The Italian also insisted that cutting the costs in the MotoGP was not such a hard thing to do, considering the series have much to learn from their F1 counterparts.

“We must do something similar too, by freezing the construction of new bikes for four or five years, while only allowing development of the current bikes. Most of all, we must lengthen engine life: less revs, more kilometers. Let's say 17,000 revs.”

“With the measures I have in mind we could already spend 20 per cent less. First of all we should get rid of one of the four bikes we have in the garage: there would be just one spare bike for the two riders to be used after a failure or a crash. This means less weight to transport around the world and a couple less technicians. Then we should eliminate carbon brakes and move to steel ones, which are also used in road bike production. This would save 250,000 euros,” added Gresini.

FIM's only major change brought to the MotoGP class heading into the 2009 season was the introduction of standard control tires for the next 3 years. Bridgestone was also chosen as single tire supplier for the MotoGP until 2011.
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