Aprilia, KTM allowed to keep developing engines
Aprilia and KTM have been given special dispensation to continue developing their MotoGP engines until the end of June.
The news follows Aprilia requesting to the Grand Prix Commission to continue working on its all-new 90-degree V4 for reliability reasons until closer to the start of the delayed 2020 season, currently planned to begin at Jerez in late July.
Previously, it had been decided that the engines of all manufacturers would be frozen all year according to the homologations submitted in March during Qatar testing in the interest of cost savings in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic.
However, concession manufacturers Aprilia and KTM have been granted an exemption to this, and can now develop their engines until June 29.
Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Ducati will be forced to use the same spec of engine through the shortened 2020 campaign and the 2021 season.
Manufacturers can't gain concessions
It has also been decided that the four non-concession manufacturers, owing to the shorter length of the calendar, will not be able to gain concessions this year.
In normal circumstances, a full season without any top-three results would be enough for a manufacturer to gain the concessions, which include unlimited engine development, extra engines to use in a season and extra wildcard appearances (six instead of three), as Suzuki did after its poor 2017 campaign.
However, Aprilia and KTM will still be able to lose their concessions should they acquire six concession points (awarded on a 3-2-1 basis for a top-three finish). Any concession points gained this year will be valid for two years.
Previous article
Lorenzo return canned as MotoGP confirms wildcard ban
Next article
KTM opposed Aprilia engine development request
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Teams | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing , Aprilia Racing Team Gresini |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
How a Crutchlow helped Miller to Jerez MotoGP redemption
Jack Miller’s tough start to life as a factory Ducati MotoGP rider left him mentally battered and bruised, but a pep talk and positive reinforcement from a surprising source aided the Australian to show his full potential with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
How Yamaha's rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021 after storming to victory at a venue five months earlier served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha's factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend did at least expose one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
