Source: MotoGP.

The MotoGP Championship enters a new phase as key measures are agreed upon in order to ensure the stability of the sport in coming years.

An announcement from the FIM, Dorna and IRTA have detailed plans to stablise the sport’s structure through the next six seasons, including economics, technical and sporting regulations.

“This agreement has been possible thanks to the consensus we have at the Grand Prix Commission,” explained Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in a press conference held on Friday at the Motul TT Assen alongside FIM president Vito Ippolito and IRTA president Hervé Poncharal.

Vito Ippolito: “We want to reform the structure of the championship for the next six years until 2021 and I want to stress the fact that we had a great consensus between the GP Commission, Dorna and MSMA in this. The announcement regards the future of the championship – we want stability in terms of the economic, technical and sporting rules.

“From a technical point of view, we will not have many more changes for the next year, in recent years the environment obliged us to make some important changes, but we don’t need any more rules. We want stable rules from a technical and sporting point of view, unless change is needed for safety reasons.

“Today the championship is 18 rounds, maybe for the future we will reach 20, but this would be the top for the 2017-2021 period. As president of the FIM I’m very glad that we reached this agreement, it will bring great benefits to our sport.”

Ezpeleta added: “I want to say a special thanks to all the members of the MSMA, first the FIM who has allowed us to talk to everyone and to IRTA who brings us the feeling of the paddock as well as advising us.

“The MSMA itself who gives us the opinion of the manufacturers. We want to say thanks to the three manufacturers; Ducati, Honda and Yamaha who have been participating throughout and have helped the success of the championship.

“Also special thanks to Honda and Yamaha because their behaviour in allowing the concession points to allow those who have not been winning to catch up has been a big help. We are extremely happy and thank you to them for permitting us to do this. Also to the teams for permitting this, it has not been easy for them but we feel this agreement is good for everyone especially the private teams.

“This is a process that started with CRT then the Open class, then the agreement to have the same spec electronics for all – it ends with the stability of the championship. All the technical rules will stay the same until 2021 unless everybody agrees to change something or it is for safety.

“Starting from 2017 we will have six manufacturers participating in MotoGP: Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha. All of these six will have the right to participate in the championship with two official riders. They also have the obligation to put a minimum of two bikes in the market for leasing, with a maximum of four, for the existing teams in the championship.

“These bikes will have a max price of 2.2 million Euros per annum including everything except crash costs. This is only for existing teams. We now have 25 riders participating and for the period of 2017 to 2021 the minimum will be 22 riders on the grid and the maximum 24. We will not admit any other teams or manufacturers if we’re over 22 riders; this is to support the teams that have been participating in MotoGP.

“Dorna also have the right to buy the slot of the last two teams in the championship each year. This is a right and not an obligation. Hopefully we don’t need to use this right. If any new manufacturers arrive they will be obliged to reach an agreement with an existing private team, we will not admit new manufacturers as we have done in the past.

“The contribution from Dorna to the manufacturers, and especially the private teams, will see more than a 30 percent increase between 2016 to 2017. With this contribution, especially to the private teams, the teams will have enough resources to pay the leasing from the manufacturers at the previously mentioned price.

“It is important for the market to be open, with six manufacturers the private teams have a choice of who to make an agreement with. This agreement will hopefully promote stability. We have 13 riders within a second today, a very competitive championship. We want to thank everyone who has helped us arrive to this. We think with the same electronics the championship will be even closer.”

When asked about whether this agreement affects Moto2 and Moto3, Ezpeleta replied: “Today we are talking about MotoGP – the Moto2 and Moto3 classes have their own rules and there is no change. In Moto2, in the future we will present the possibility for the manufacturers to supply engines when the agreement with Honda expires. In terms of Moto3, there is the Moto3 working group to propose new rules, but today the press conference is about the MotoGP class.”