FEATURE
MOTOGP BOSSES
P80
fast, exotic prototype machines
that motorcycle racers and gear-
heads alike dream about.
The biggest buzz kill for a
dream is thinking about how
much that dream cost (unless
maybe you're an accountant).
But, hey, at some point in the real
world, reality starts to catch up—
in one's checkbook. Or, in rac-
ing, the harsh reality of a strug-
gling economy.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, who saw
his dwindling grid come peril-
ously close to not meeting con-
tract agreements with promoters
(as well as a growing disparity in
competition between haves and
have-nots), sought cost-cutting
measures in the rules.
It was not a popular direction
with the manufacturers (mainly
Honda) that love that high-stakes
game of poker and the environ-
ment of R&D.
Through many iterations, CRT
and the current Open-class rules,
and debates on those, measures
success or failures.
What do the race bosses think
of it now?
Jarvis pointed to the full grid as
being a sign that something was
working right.
"MotoGP now, if you com-
pared to four years ago the num-
ber of bikes and teams on the
grid, basically we're full now, and
we weren't a few years ago," Jar-
vis said. "So that means also that
Dorna somehow has been able
to manage the situation, maybe
with regulations, maybe with sup-
port. The championship is look-
ing pretty healthy now and I see
an optimistic future."
Suppo felt that, while not very
realistic in competition, there
were some good examples of the
efforts.
"Every time there is a competi-
tion between manufacturers, it's a
kind of dream to be able to really
reduce the costs," Suppo said. "I
think a perfect example is Stefan
Bradl who won a Moto2 title with
a very small budget team. I think
Stefan is not Marc [Marquez] but
a good MotoGP rider that prob-
ably with a 250 (Moto2's costly
Suzuki joins the
party in 2015 with
Aleix Espargaro
and Maverick
Vinales (not
pictured).
