The end of concessions in MotoGP

Despite the departure of Suzuki, the MotoGP can boast of bringing together six different brands on the grid. The success and above all the viability of a World Championship rest primarily on the number of manufacturers involved. MotoGP knows this better than anyone and has established a system of concessions to attract new manufacturers by giving them the means and time necessary to come and play on equal terms with the players already in place.

Aleix Espargaro in confidence © MotoGP

This system has since proven itself, making it possible to close the ranks in the championship and offer an ever more uncertain and exciting fight for victory. It basically consists of granting advantages to brands arriving in MotoGP as long as they have not achieved convincing results, or to those already in place if they are going through a complicated period in terms of results. The manufacturers concerned have in particular nine engines available per driver during a season instead of seven, the right not to seal the specifications of their engine before the season, greater freedom of aerodynamic development, six wildcards instead of three or more days of testing allocated to factory drivers.

A victory in Argentina seals the loss of privileges for Aprilia © MotoGP

When the system was introduced, only Ducati was affected. Three brands subsequently joined the peloton and were granted these advantages: Suzuki and Aprilia in 2015, then KTM in 2017. Ducati logically lost these concessions in 2016 thanks to a rich 2015 campaign. By achieving a victory in 2016, Suzuki followed the path but for a year, catastrophic, only before regaining them in 2018, then losing them again in 2019. After its victories in 2020, KTM was the last team to lose its concessions in 2021. The GASGAS did not being nothing more than rebadged KTM RC16s, they will of course not benefit from any advantages.

KTM base therefore no concession for GASGAS © MotoGP

Over the past two years, only Aprilia has benefited from regulatory bonuses. However, after Aleix Espargaró and teammate Maverick Viñales scored nine podiums between them last season, including Espargaro's maiden victory at the Argentine Grand Prix, Noale's factory has joined its counterparts and will no longer benefit no benefit in 2023.

It will be interesting to see how Aprilia does in its first year without concessions. We will have to wait a few races to see where the Italian factory stands in the premier class hierarchy, but after particularly successful Tests at Sepang, we can expect another brilliant season. For its part, KTM went through complicated tests in Malaysia, but we know that the only truth is that of the race.

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