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MotoGP freezes engine, aero specs until 2021
MotoGP will continue to use 2020 engines and aero fairings next year as part of cost-saving measures to mitigate the financial impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on the series.
Lewis Duncan
Edited: Apr 16, 2020, 12:00 PM
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The 2020 season has had the first eight of its races either cancelled or postponed, with new government social distancing guidelines in Germany likely to lead to the postponement of the currently-scheduled opener at the Sachsenring on June 21.
In recent weeks, MotoGP promoters Dorna Sports announced a €9m financial aid package to be rolled out over three months to all independent MotoGP teams – and KTM – as well as all Moto2 and Moto3 squads.
The MotoGP manufacturers’ association (MSMA) has also been meeting in recent weeks to discuss potential cost-saving ideas, with a development freeze unanimously agreed.
This has now been officially ratified by the Grand Prix Commission, with development this season banned and all manufacturers set to start the 2021 campaign using the engines and aero fairings homologated at the start of this year.
Once the 2021 season is underway, normal development rules will then apply. That means non-concession manufacturers (Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki) will be unable to develop engines during the year, and will be permitted just one aero fairing update.
During the MSMA meetings, Ducati proposed the idea of scaling back the number of bikes per rider from two to one in a bid to cut costs further, but Motorsport.com learned that this idea was rejected by the other five manufacturers.
The GPC has also confirmed all Moto2 and Moto3 development will be frozen until the end of the 2021 season. Moto2 teams will have the aero bodies homologated for 2020 and 2019 at their disposal, while each chassis manufacturer may submit any current or 2019 frame and swingarm for homologation. No more than two frames per team can be homologated.
Also outlawed is the use of holeshot and ride height devices in the lower classes, as seen in MotoGP, to stop development costs spiralling.
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