Bike electronics set to be restricted
By Michele Lostia and Matt Beer Wednesday, November 19th 2008, 09:53 GMT
Valentino Rossi leads Jorge Lorenzo and Nicky Hayden at JerezCarmelo Ezpeleta, head of MotoGP commercial rights-holder Dorna, has hinted that the next major regulation change will be to decrease the importance of rider aid electronics in the championship.
MotoGP is introducing a single tyre supplier next year in a bid to reduce speeds and improve the racing, but many riders have also called for limitations on electronics, as they believe systems like traction control are harming the spectacle and making the MotoGP machines too easy to handle.
Although Ezpeleta warned that there would be no changes in the short-term, he confirmed that rider aids were the next topic on the agenda now that the tyre regulations were fixed.
"We need to get down to discuss it, as it's been done in every motor racing series," he told Motosprint.
"I've asked the manufacturers to look for a solution, to start talking, but we won't see anything in 2009. We'll need more time.
"However, regulating electronics will be the next step."
He denied that the current regulations had made recent seasons less exciting, though, and insisted that the 2008 battles between Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa had been an excellent advert for MotoGP.
"2008 has been a great championship: Valentino, Casey and Dani did incredible things," said Ezpeleta.
"It must not be thought that Valentino won easily, he made incredible efforts and he won thanks to his genius. And he has shown his genius to the entire world, so this is a spectacle of the highest level. You only need to remember the Laguna Seca race...
"This was a season where Valentino's strategy counted a lot, and he won because he put Stoner under pressure. And if we add to this Pedrosa, who until mid-season was ahead, the level this year was extremely high. So the title for us has extraordinary value."
Ezpeleta is also confident that the Bridgestone control tyres will improve the racing next year, especially after the successful first tests of the new rubber at Valencia earlier this month.
"Looks like the control tyre is becoming less scary now," he said.
"I've spoken to the riders, and they've all told me they're satisfied. I really think everything will be fine.
"I have lots of confidence in the control tyre, also in order to see the riders closer to each other and to see races with more overtaking.
"So I expect the control tyre not only to reduce costs, but also to improve the spectacle."
He also confirmed that the compounds used in the Valencia test would be retained for 2009.
"If there should be conditions where we need to make some adjustments, then we'll do them for sure, but in general the regulation is the one experimented at Valencia," Ezpeleta said.
By Michele Lostia and Matt Beer Wednesday, November 19th 2008, 09:53 GMT
Valentino Rossi leads Jorge Lorenzo and Nicky Hayden at JerezCarmelo Ezpeleta, head of MotoGP commercial rights-holder Dorna, has hinted that the next major regulation change will be to decrease the importance of rider aid electronics in the championship.
MotoGP is introducing a single tyre supplier next year in a bid to reduce speeds and improve the racing, but many riders have also called for limitations on electronics, as they believe systems like traction control are harming the spectacle and making the MotoGP machines too easy to handle.
Although Ezpeleta warned that there would be no changes in the short-term, he confirmed that rider aids were the next topic on the agenda now that the tyre regulations were fixed.
"We need to get down to discuss it, as it's been done in every motor racing series," he told Motosprint.
"I've asked the manufacturers to look for a solution, to start talking, but we won't see anything in 2009. We'll need more time.
"However, regulating electronics will be the next step."
He denied that the current regulations had made recent seasons less exciting, though, and insisted that the 2008 battles between Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa had been an excellent advert for MotoGP.
"2008 has been a great championship: Valentino, Casey and Dani did incredible things," said Ezpeleta.
"It must not be thought that Valentino won easily, he made incredible efforts and he won thanks to his genius. And he has shown his genius to the entire world, so this is a spectacle of the highest level. You only need to remember the Laguna Seca race...
"This was a season where Valentino's strategy counted a lot, and he won because he put Stoner under pressure. And if we add to this Pedrosa, who until mid-season was ahead, the level this year was extremely high. So the title for us has extraordinary value."
Ezpeleta is also confident that the Bridgestone control tyres will improve the racing next year, especially after the successful first tests of the new rubber at Valencia earlier this month.
"Looks like the control tyre is becoming less scary now," he said.
"I've spoken to the riders, and they've all told me they're satisfied. I really think everything will be fine.
"I have lots of confidence in the control tyre, also in order to see the riders closer to each other and to see races with more overtaking.
"So I expect the control tyre not only to reduce costs, but also to improve the spectacle."
He also confirmed that the compounds used in the Valencia test would be retained for 2009.
"If there should be conditions where we need to make some adjustments, then we'll do them for sure, but in general the regulation is the one experimented at Valencia," Ezpeleta said.
