Currently dominating the MotoGP World Championship, Ducati will have limitations next season to level the playing field. In contrast, Honda and Yamaha will receive concessions to try to narrow the gap with their European rivals.
According to Motorsport.com, MotoGP Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta presented the outline of these steps to manufacturers last Friday. Aprilia and KTM are pushing for more restrictions on Ducati, but the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is reportedly unwilling to accept such a scenario.
The idea is to allocate concessions based on points earned in the Constructors’ World Championship – the more points, the greater the limitations will be. In this scenario, Ducati would have 170 tyres available for the season (tests and Grand Prix), compared to the current 200 for all teams. On the other hand, Honda and Yamaha would have 230 tyres.
While there are no changes to the allowed private tests, having fewer tyres will inevitably limit the teams’ activities. This is where the disagreement lies: Ducati accepts these scenario, but Aprilia and KTM want the Italian manufacturer to have only 140 tyres per year, a proposal reportedly rejected by Borgo Panigale.
Regarding wildcards, Ducati would be unable to have it, while Honda and Yamaha would have a higher number of wildcard entries. In terms of engines, currently, those without concessions are allowed to use seven per rider during a season. However, the quantity under the new system that is being considered is not yet known.