These are strange days in MotoGP. World Champion Casey Stoner is quitting and Ben Spies may follow him, both of them complaining that they don’t like MotoGP’s current direction away from pure prototypes.
That’s bad, but much worse is the fact that HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) are also talking about withdrawing their factory squad. Even worse than that, HRC are talking about defecting to World Superbike, MotoGP’s arch-rival.
The reason? Dorna’s plan to introduce a control ECU for the entire MotoGP grid within the next few years. Dorna want to ban open electronics development by forcing everyone to use the same ECU, because they believe it will cut costs and improve the racing.
They may be right, they may be wrong. What is certain is that we live in a digital age, which is why HRC won’t tolerate Dorna’s plan to suppress digital R&D.
If HRC aren’t allowed to subject all those zeroes and ones to rigorous experiment in MotoGP’s racetrack laboratory, they say they will take their factory team somewhere they can, to WSB, where there’s no talk of banning electronics R&D.
“At the moment Honda only have a factory team in MotoGP, while we have a ‘dealer team’ in World Superbike,” said HRC vice-president Shuhei Nakamoto at Brno. “But if we have a single ECU here in MotoGP, then Honda’s interest will change to World Superbike. Ciao Carmelo! [Nakamoto means ‘ciao’ as in ‘goodbye’, not ‘ciao’ as in ‘hello’.] Dorna can make the decision, but we must continue spending on [electronics] development. This is very important to Honda.”
Nakamoto’s revelation may be a serious threat or it may be sabre rattling – or rather, samurai-sword rattling – but either way HRC are determined to derail Dorna’s plan for a control ECU. No doubt, the other factories are on HRC’s side as the MSMA continues its talks with Dorna, though Ducati and Yamaha have yet to threaten defection to WSB.
Like any negotiations, both sides ask for more than they expect to get, then agree to meet somewhere in the middle. It’s difficult to see the middle ground in this argument because hi-tech electronics are hideously complex. And even if the two parties do agree on a compromise to limit rider aids like traction control in some way, then how will that be policed? Expect the wrangling to go on for some while.
With so much discord in the paddock, it was heartening to visit the post-qualifying press conference at Brno where there was much hilarity when Jorge Lorenzo was asked if he was worried about having to battle with his fellow Yamaha riders.
The question harked back to Motegi 2010, when Lorenzo was happily cruising to the world title until he got locked into a vicious brawl for the final podium place with outgoing team-mate and bitter rival Valentino Rossi.
Lorenzo’s duel for the 2012 title is with Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, but he also has to deal with three fast Yamaha riders, two of whom are departing to ride for rival manufacturers, which means they aren’t likely to heed appeals from Yamaha management to go easy on Lorenzo.
While Lorenzo considered his answer, the ever-mischievous Cal Crutchlow grinned at the World Championship leader and said “He has to pay me!”. In other words, Crutchlow would like some financial remuneration to guarantee Lorenzo safe passage.
Then things started getting complicated. Pedrosa leant behind Lorenzo to conspire with Crutchlow, telling him that whatever Lorenzo would pay, he would better the offer to have the Briton on his side.
It’s good to see Pedrosa coming out of his shell. Like team-mate Casey Stoner he used to be uncomfortable in the limelight, but he’s grown out of that and is now happier and more relaxed. Perhaps that’s why he’s such a threat to Lorenzo for this year’s crown.
The pair were laughing and joking at Brno, but as their title battle builds towards its climax, how long will the good humour remain?
Interesting that Honda dislike the idea of CRT, but threaten to defect to WSB if this control ECU idea happens?
Honda leave Grand Prix racing? Its happened before and although I imagine this to be posturing and posing all in the name of negotiation, it could happen. Ducati officially left WSBK and only have a factory team in MGP although with supported teams in WSBK; so what’s to say HRC wouldn’t do the same in a reverse manner?
Marvellous to see good humour and smiling faces. I wonder what has changed ? Ah, now I remember ….What is missing is not being missed.
Maestro Oxley, I’m a bit disconnected about this, but aren’t WSB managed by a company close to the MotoGP, or something like that?
Sorry if I’m wrong with this, I insist I am disconnected on such matters…
As a motorcyclist my concern with electronic controls is simple, the ECU takes control of the bike and then a government agency or insurance company takes control of the ECU. Crazy? Look what is happening in the EU. Even over the water in the USA this brings shivers to my spine.
Lesmo, yes, both Dorna (MotoGP) and In Front (WSB) are owned by Bridgepoint, a London-based private equity company. Bridgepoint are already involved in all this regulations negotiations. They want both series to keep earning them money. It’s a difficult balancing act.
Mr Weingart – yes, have heard about insurance companies in the US having ‘black box’ recorders in customers’ cars, so they can monitor their driving habits. Big Brother, I’m afraid – the inevitable result of so much technology. They can snoop, so they will.
Gavin – all HRC want is free rein on electronics, because this is the most important avenue of R&D at the moment.
Tetley, you old cynic you! Personally, I miss Casey. Too much humour and smiling faces in racing isn’t too good, in my opinion!
Stay the hell away from this, Bernie…
Last time Honda quit GP racing was at the end of 1967. This was due to the cost. And the fact it wanted to develop its car division. The company did not return until 1979, with the oval-piston NR500 four-stroke. When that failed, it built the NS500 V3 two-stroke, and has been at the centre of the premier class ever since. But due to the actions of governments removing regulations on banks, the global economy is shot. So all forms of racing that require large expenditure will be under the spotlight. The only form of motor racing that appears to still be flourishing is NASCAR. Perhaps there are some lessons there?
dear Matt you want me to belief that’s Honda gonna go back to Superbike i am sorry starting from zero With hume are there some new stars in Japan I am looking forword to it
Mr Esdaile: The grass isn’t as green as it looks like in NASCAR land. Ticket sales have been dropping for years, and many legit team entries have been replaced by “start and park” operations – which artificially keeps the car count high.
I can see both sides of the coin! Dorna wants to clip the wings of the factory rides to close the gap to the CRT rides which is understandable but Honda has the funds to keep on improving and doesn’t want to stall progress, also understandable, so where the middle ground is will be interesting see!!!
…well I certainly am pulling for Pedrosa to successfully challenge Lorenzo this season. Still, I’m amazed at the recent news of all the seat jockeying that Casey triggered by his earlier announcement to retire. It’s been great enjoyment watching his career develop.
He’s not a “Pedro-bot” anymore. He’ll fight back after getting passed. His incident with Hayden has faded from memory.
Oh my, I think I like Danny Pedrosa.
…Love it !….fthis years title chase is shaping up to be an exciting and impossible to predict finish. At first I had concerns that when Casey went down and got injured, that meant that Lorenzo was going to inherit the crown undeterred, but happily Pedrosa picked up the battle and put his head down and went after Lorenzo. Now it will be an exciting run to the season’s end, barring any more catastrophic injuries to any of the front-runners.
…another item that has been bothering me is the issue that Dorna and the factories are clashing about – the proposed Dorna ECU’s. I don’t blame Honda one bit about their reticence to use the Dorna ECU. While Dorna’s reasoning is to close the gap to the CRT’s, you can’t blame the factories for wanting to keep the top GP class a prototype class. Besides, who is supposed to build these ECU’s anyway ? And in my estimation, in order to achieve a universal ECU, you would have to have enough cooperation from the factories to divulge certain idiosyncracies of their current and projected engine designs to create compatibility. Would they do that ? Hell no, they don’t want to show publicly their super secret design work….why give that type of information to your competitors ? Why abandon decades of building the latest prototype racing machines in order to ensure a pack of almost identicle clones running around in a little pack.