tamer aero and no fancy squat-
ting suspension. It's all aimed
at slowing things down. The
rules were arrived at in consul-
tation with the factories' race
engineers, obliged to achieve
the exact opposite of what they
spend their lives striving for.
There was worthy talk of
sustainability, with reduced use
of non-fossil fuel and such like,
and some other matters, includ
-
ing a slightly puzzling decision
to make every competitor's
on-track GPS data available to
everybody else. But there is one
really trenchant reason: safety.
And not only because faster
crashes are riskier. It's because
higher speeds require bigger
gravel traps. And with specta
-
tors shunted even further off
into outer darkness, that's worse
for the all-important show than
slowing everyone down.
The measures met with cau
-
tious approval in the paddock.
Cautious because of what hap-
pened the last time the engine
size was cut, for the same rea-
son. In 2007 MotoGP went from
the rumbustious first-generation
990cc four-strokes (which
included Honda's masterly V5
and Aprilia's deafening triple) to
compulsory four-cylinders and
800cc.
It was a bit of a disaster.
Speeds weren't cut much, lap
times not at all, but revs got
higher, as reduced torque com
-
bined with restricted fuel and
T
he trouble with MotoGP?
It's too fast. That's not
what World Championship
racing should be about.
Sounds ridiculous? Bear with
me.
Only relative speed matters.
As in, "I can go faster than you
can?" Or, in the deathless motto
of the long-ago British Moto
Morini 3½ series, "Why hurry a
good race?"
MotoGP riders aren't going for
the land-speed record. They only
need to go faster than the other
bloke.
This was all confirmed at the
Le Mans confirmation of the
new 2027 regs, announced to no
gasps of surprise.
Mainly, it's smaller engines,
P126
CN II IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
THE GO
(SLOW) SHOW
