The MotoGP rulebook will see new concession rules introduced this year to help out the struggling Japanese manufacturers. This is unlikely to make any great difference to Ducati’s dominance as this is down to shedloads of Audi cash, 8 bikes on the grid and a “relaxed” attitude to following technical rules. However, it may slightly reduce the amount by which Honda and Yamaha suck. In this article, we explain the new concessions.
Teams divided into groups
The manufacturers have been divided into 3 groups depending on how well they did in last year’s championship: A, C and D. (Ducati are so far in front that there isn’t a group B yet). The rankings will be revised after 6 months, which is obviously far too late in the season to make any difference.
Group A Concessions (Ducati)
- No wildcards
- Limited number of tyres
- Teams allowed to use just 1 blatantly illegal invention at a time
- Teams not permitted to speak Italian in pit garage
- Riders docked 5 championship points if they fail to punch opponents who have just rammed them off the track
- Hospitality unit restricted to serving nothing but tinned spaghetti hoops on toast and instant Nescafe
Group C Concessions (KTM, Aprilia)
- Limited wildcards
- Teams allowed to run 1 extra bike if they accidentally hire too many riders
- Teams earn an extra 5 constructors’ championship points if Team Principal loudly farts during live TV interview
- Riders allowed to park their motorhomes either side of the current championship leader and stay up late playing extremely loud rock music
- Riders may refuse to answer awkward questions in a press conference on the grounds that the journalist asking them is really old
Group D Concessions (Honda, Yamaha)
- Unlimited wildcards
- Random Japanese test riders score double points when wildcarding
- Mechanics allowed to have butt crack showing on live TV
- Team Principal allowed to go out on track and score points on a paddock scooter if the number of competitors remaining in the race drops below 15
- Riders earn an extra 5 championship points in each press conference where they insult a journalist who is fat and/or ginger
- Riders excused from taking part in Sprint Race as they would just get hurt and not score any points anyway
Conclusion
It remains to be seen how effective these concessions will be, but one thing is certain. They won’t make any difference.