“If you have to choose between technology and entertainment, you choose the show” – Carmelo Ezpeleta.
During a visit to the Ducati/Ferrari Wrooom press event at Madonna di Campiglio, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta spoke about his vision for reinvigorating the
MotoGP World Championship in 2013.
A new class of privateer 'Claiming Rule Teams' is already being introduced for the 2012 world championship, with nine of the superbike-powered entries accepted to compete alongside twelve factory-built
MotoGP bikes, divided equally between Honda, Yamaha and Ducati.
That means the first 1000cc season should see 21 full-time entries, compared with just 17 (all factory-built) machines during 2011, although the performance gap between the full prototypes and CRTs is set to produce a race within a race.
But speaking on Wednesday Ezpeleta, as quoted by GPone.com, confirmed that the real changes will come in 2013, when he wants regulations in place so that "there is little [performance] difference between the CRTs and the factory bikes and that costs for factory-built bikes cannot spiral out of control".
The Spaniard added: "Motor sport is based on two pillars: technology and entertainment. If, in a moment of crisis, you have to choose between one or the other, you choose the show, because that is what brings in proceeds from television and the circuits...
"I want 2013 to be completely different from 2012."
To achieve his goals, Ezpeleta has targeted a maximum price of 1 million euros a year for all 'customer' bikes, whether CRT or satellite, and set an unofficial deadline of May for the final 2013 regulations to be agreed upon with the factories.
Limiting factories to two full prototypes and forcing them to sell, rather than lease, their satellite bikes to customers (these would need to be CRT-style machines to stay within the 1 million euro price tag) plus a control ECU, rev limit, new restrictions on engine development and even a weight handicap system are among the proposals.
