Photo: Ducati
It has not been a great season debut for Honda, with Pedrosa undergoing surgery and missing races, and Marquez failing to deliver the same stunning performance he showed last year. And even if Rossi and Lorenzo look stronger now than ever, the game is only getting worse with Ducati as the new pretender.
Without any intention to sound mean, Honda Racing Corporation seems to have a lot to say when it comes to the sporting rules and the MSMA regulations. A recent meeting of the manufacturers' association proposed a reinterpretation of the whole concession points system we reported about earlier... but the main idea is to start applying it straight from this year. And this means bad news for Ducati.
With 3 points per dry victory, 2 for a second place and 1 for a third, whoever earned 6 points would be deemed competitive enough to lose the concessions for the next year. The system should be enforced in 2016 and produce its first results in 2017. However, it looks like the MSMA thinks of applying it starting this very season.
It's not the first time HRC is vocal in matters for changing the rules in MotoGP, and we are somehow getting used to it. With Ducati's superior results this year and podiums, the Borgo Panigale team already has 7 points, if the proposed change of rules is adopted by the MSMA, Ducati will be racing under the same conditions as Yamaha and Honda.
Ducati obviously opposes strongly, but it looks like decisions will be adopted with a simple majority of votes in the Grand Prix Commission. HRC's Livio Suppo said that the current rules and the ones that are envisaged for the future season overlap and should be synced better. Ducati wants to retain whatever concessions they still have in 2016 saying that they have no dry win yet.
The truth is somewhere between the two positions. Honda has always tried to make everything play out in its favor and with the rather tame season start this year, they are obviously trying to balance things. On the other hand, Suppo is also right when he says that Ducati doesn't look like in need of any help.
"I talk with Gigi (Dall’Igna) at the meeting and told him "Gigi, you have done a very good job, but don’t pretend you are not competitive and need help next year! Because, in theory, they can win this championship!" Suppo added, according to motomatters.
While in terms of general performance, speed, power, corner speed, braking and all, Ducati certainly looks like a team that can make serious claims to the title, as Suppofears says, the reliability of the engines may still be a problem if Ducati will lose the concessions for 2016. Dall'Igna will have to work even harder this year to make sure the 7 engines allowed for factory teams as of 2016 will last through the season. Moreover, they are frozen engines and testing with contracted riders will only be possible during the seasonal official tests.
The 2015 MotoGP championship is only getting more and more interesting, and for some reasons, it looks like the next season will be even more so.
Ducati possibly starting on the same level as Honda and Yamaha in 2016
Long story short, the concession points system was aimed at leveling the performance in the premier class, allowing new factory teams and manufacturers without significant success to benefit from certain privileges. These privileges referred to the number of engines, the ability to keep on developing them, using more fuel, testing with factory riders and softer tires.With 3 points per dry victory, 2 for a second place and 1 for a third, whoever earned 6 points would be deemed competitive enough to lose the concessions for the next year. The system should be enforced in 2016 and produce its first results in 2017. However, it looks like the MSMA thinks of applying it starting this very season.
It's not the first time HRC is vocal in matters for changing the rules in MotoGP, and we are somehow getting used to it. With Ducati's superior results this year and podiums, the Borgo Panigale team already has 7 points, if the proposed change of rules is adopted by the MSMA, Ducati will be racing under the same conditions as Yamaha and Honda.
Ducati obviously opposes strongly, but it looks like decisions will be adopted with a simple majority of votes in the Grand Prix Commission. HRC's Livio Suppo said that the current rules and the ones that are envisaged for the future season overlap and should be synced better. Ducati wants to retain whatever concessions they still have in 2016 saying that they have no dry win yet.
The truth is somewhere between the two positions. Honda has always tried to make everything play out in its favor and with the rather tame season start this year, they are obviously trying to balance things. On the other hand, Suppo is also right when he says that Ducati doesn't look like in need of any help.
"I talk with Gigi (Dall’Igna) at the meeting and told him "Gigi, you have done a very good job, but don’t pretend you are not competitive and need help next year! Because, in theory, they can win this championship!" Suppo added, according to motomatters.
While in terms of general performance, speed, power, corner speed, braking and all, Ducati certainly looks like a team that can make serious claims to the title, as Suppo
The 2015 MotoGP championship is only getting more and more interesting, and for some reasons, it looks like the next season will be even more so.
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