Photo: MotoGP.com
Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC team principal warns again about Honda planning to leave the MotoGP championship in case Dorna will make spec-software mandatory. It not by far the first time Nakamoto-san expresses this official point of view and it looks like things are becoming very serious.
The 2014 season already sees the spec ECUs manufactured by Magneti Marelli mandatory, with the manufacturers allowed to use their own software at the cost of being able to load only 20 liters of fuel in the race. The teams running with Marelli software are allowed to carry 24 liters of fuel.
Software became the way to separate the factory teams from the open-class entries. Ducati has already announced they are working to produce a competitive bike based on the Magneti Marelli software.
One of the leading developers of motorcycle technology, Honda is keen to make sure the MotoGP remains their test bench. So far there are only rumors that a standard software could become mandatory in 2017.
"Should MotoGP go for a control ECU, it's 99 per cent sure Honda will leave. The reason why Honda goes Grand Prix racing is the need to develop technology; in fact we think GPs are the best test bench for it, and if the chance of developing is taken away, then Honda loses a very important reason - in fact a fundamental one - to justify spending all that money," Nakamoto adds, Autosport reports.
"Honda's position is not new, I said it other times and I wasn't joking," the Honda official concludes.
Software became the way to separate the factory teams from the open-class entries. Ducati has already announced they are working to produce a competitive bike based on the Magneti Marelli software.
One of the leading developers of motorcycle technology, Honda is keen to make sure the MotoGP remains their test bench. So far there are only rumors that a standard software could become mandatory in 2017.
"Should MotoGP go for a control ECU, it's 99 per cent sure Honda will leave. The reason why Honda goes Grand Prix racing is the need to develop technology; in fact we think GPs are the best test bench for it, and if the chance of developing is taken away, then Honda loses a very important reason - in fact a fundamental one - to justify spending all that money," Nakamoto adds, Autosport reports.
"Honda's position is not new, I said it other times and I wasn't joking," the Honda official concludes.
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