MotoGP 2012

[Chaos]

So what's the point of a factory team claiming an engine from a CRT if the factory team doesn't have additional fuel to use it fully?

I'm pretty sure non-CRT teams are not part of the claiming rules. So their engines cannot be claimed, nor can they claim engines from others.

[Geeser]

This is a bit off-topic because I'm more interested in figuring out the advantage they are trying to give the CRTs, but according to their May 3, 2011 press release:

“From 2012 onwards in MotoGP any independent team has the chance to apply for the CRT status, and this stands for Claiming Rule Team,” began Cecchinelli. “The team thereby accepts that one of their engines can be claimed, which means it can be bought at the end of the race, by one of the MSMA members for either €20,000 with the transmission or €15,000 without...A maximum of four engine claims can be made against one CRT in any one racing season, and an MSMA manufacturer may not claim more than one engine per year from the same CRT.”

Regardless, I guess the point is to somehow bring down costs while remaining competitive.

[Chaos]

New Updates:

Anthony West coming up to MotoGP
Suzuki is set to announce their departure from MotoGP
Gresini is adding a CRT entry


Expect a lot of CRT entry news in the next few months as new teams prop up, new drivers sign, new chassis manufacturers enter, and these teams derive new engines.

Also, the Honda 1000cc used by Factory Honda is not the same engine as the Honda 1000cc used by the CRT teams.

[Chaos]

Suzuki is officially out: http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/174..._official.html

[Chaos]

A good read on the CRT rules: http://www.motomatters.com/analysis/...anted_to_.html

According to this article, the CRT rules are more complicated than I had first thought.

[Geeser]

Thanks for the post. It looks like the "claiming" of an engine is something of a red-herring so that 2012 will continue the domination by the factory teams. Interesting, though, are the ECU changes for 2013 which could bring the factory teams back toward the CRTs.

[strakka]

Thanks for the post. It looks like the "claiming" of an engine is something of a red-herring so that 2012 will continue the domination by the factory teams. Interesting, though, are the ECU changes for 2013 which could bring the factory teams back toward the CRTs.

Not really. It's supposed to prevent factories from sneaking in a bike & benefitting from the extra 3 litres of fuel entitled to CRT's. And by making the engines claimable at a low price, it forces the team to avoid overspending on the engine. It's the opposite of what the factories have been doing- leasing engines for millions to make entering MotoGP cost prohibitive. Anyways, if the factories are leasing their engines for that price, they must think quite highly of their engines. There's no way that they would claim a CRT's engine because it would look really bad on them.

[mxs]

The problem now now is "leasing" ... originally the thought was that the manufacturers will "sell" the engines, so the teams actually "own" the equipment. Here comes the leasing again, that is what messed things up looong time ago.

[Garyola]

"You only ban things you’re scared of. That’s why they banned two-strokes. The 500s would be uncompetitive against 1000s and even 800s, but they banned them anyway just in case somebody
got real clever with them. That’s disappointing.” Jeremy Burgess

Some have got clever. I think Bombardier put out a 2 stroke 600 with 175hp.
He talks what is ailing in the series.

Read the whole interview here about 3/4 down the pages.-------->>>> http://www.gpweek.com/PDF/GP0143.pdf

[ZX600]

With a 600 2 stroke I would be wheeling my whole way to timmies..

Did you guys see the Moto3 KTMs..Beautiful, i can't wait for the next season to start, it is going to be interesting

[BBC]

The CRT rules are getting very grey as the testing performance of these CRT teams is coming up. I think the BMW/Suter & Aprillia Aspar teams are making good progress. If it increases the grid size I'm all for it but the technical advancements in street bikes comes from prototype racing. Ti valve trains, tires that aren't plastic dress-shoes, Carbon fibre eveything were on GP prototype bikes not very long ago.

[Chaos]

more updates to post #2

[mikeymoto]

Yamaha / Petronas partnership ends. This is an extreamly bad thing for the factory Yamaha team!! Since Fiat had ditched them acouple of years back Petronas was their biggest sponsor. Im not liking where this is going for such a great team......even though im a Honda guy, this is not great at all for the sport

[mxs]

That just tells you how bad it is out there. I think the problem, kind of, is the fact that Lorenzo doesn't attract Repsol (they are booked up, with Pedrosa, Marquez and some other 125 kid; they almost clinched 3 titles so they don't starve for exposure ...) or anybody else, nor does Ben bring any US corporation. So, you see that the results of the team means squat, it's all about who can the driver attract. Sad, but that's how it works ....

[Chaos]

That just tells you how bad it is out there. I think the problem, kind of, is the fact that Lorenzo doesn't attract Repsol (they are booked up, with Pedrosa, Marquez and some other 125 kid; they almost clinched 3 titles so they don't starve for exposure ...) or anybody else, nor does Ben bring any US corporation. So, you see that the results of the team means squat, it's all about who can the driver attract. Sad, but that's how it works ....

There are a lot of spanish sponsors out there. They simply choose to sponsor Moto2 and Moto3 riders. They get more bang for their buck for about the same amount of exposure. The Aspar team never seems to have sponsorship problems, regardless of whom their riders are.

I am, however, surprised that a GP champion on a GP winning race team for several years in a row could not attract a multinational sponsor. Pity Movistar Telefonica was so badly scorned.

[mxs]

Yamaha MotoGP team and Aspar is a big difference in my opinion. Not only in machines they use but at their cost as well. I suppose these spanish sponsors you talk of do not fit Yamaha's worldwide business plan is some shape or form.

[Chaos]

BQR confirms entry, though it looks like they're still undecided on a chassis. It's between FTR and Inmotec...possibly one of each?

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/175...ogp_entry.html


Also found this story about IODA racing.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/175...in_motogp.html


And based on several articles, it looks like the Laglisse and Grellini teams will not run in MotoGP this season.

[Chaos]

2012 Entry list. Mirrored on post #2.

Last bit of news: BQR is going to run an FTR chassis.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/175..._revealed.html


I'm very curious to see how the CRT teams will do - particularly the Aprilia teams. Seems Aprilia wants to be in Motogp but not as a factory team. That situation will be interesting as the season goes on.

[Geeser]

I find it comical that the MotoGP website hasn't been updated for 2012. No explanation of the CRT rules. In fact, they're still referring to 800cc bikes. Before posting about proposed 2013 rule changes, I wish we had the 2012 rules.

[ZX600]

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/P...ce+wrooom+2012

Preziosi: "90 percent of the bike is new"The annual Wrooom event in Madonna di Campiglio held its traditional press conference on Ducati’s new MotoGP bike on Wednesday, wherein Ducati Corse boss Filippo Preziosi previewed the technical details of the 2012 Ducati Desmosecici that Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will ride this season.
Preziosi announced that the GP12 is a complete redesign of bike tested by Rossi in Valencia, but warned that it will look deceivingly similar. It will still sport an aluminum perimetric frame and carbon swingarm, but they are new editions and the only components that actually remain the same are parts of the front (forks and steering components). He assured that the rest of the bike is completely redesigned, stating: "Ninety percent of the parts are brand new."
He continued: "We significantly changed the distribution of weight and the bike dimensions to be in the middle of the adjustment range." This suggests that a greater range of adjustments will be able to be made according to rider preference and track condition.
He also offered that with new chassis, the engine position will be able to be adjusted more, though declined to provide details regarding changes to the V angle (the angle between the two banks of the four cylinders) of the GP12 engine, which Ducati has traditionally run at a larger angle than their competitors using a V-four configuration.
Preziosi explained that it usually takes two years—from the initial design to the first race—to have a completely refined race machine "but we are accelerating the process with forced steps. It’s a courageous decision, but not impossible." He went on to say that the design process is complete and that Hayden and Rossi’s mechanics are currently at the factory in Bologna assembling the new bikes.
"The rider makes a difference," said Preziosi on the subject of how much of bike development depends on the rider. "Though we didn't contract Valentino as a rider thinking that he'd solve our problems, but to give us information, as he has won on several different bikes."
Preziosi confirmed that Franco Battani and Carlos Checa will ride the GP12 in a private test at Jerez next week, and concluded the press event stating that Rossi and Hayden will have both the bike tested in Valencia and the brand new GP12 at the Sepang Test in three weeks.