MOTOGP has announced a freeze on engine and aero development for the 2020 and 2021 championship seasons.
The move has come about after concerns were raised regarding the financial impact of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic on teams both big and small.
The Grand Prix Commission, made up of Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Paul Duparc (FIM), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), held a virtual meeting yesterday to come to an agreement on the matter.
As a result, MotoGP has announced changes to the normal engine and aerodynamic development rules for both this season and 2021. It means no updates are permitted to the March 2020 homologated parts for the rest of this year, which applies to both concession and non-concession manufacturers.
From then on, all teams will start the season, be it 2020 or 2021 if no racing gets underway, using the same engine and aero packages they had in March of 2020.
Explaining why the Grand Prix Commission has gone this way, they said:
'These changes are designed to reduce the costs incurred by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis whilst maintaining fairness and equality in order to conserve the entertainment value of the sport and the integrity of the competition,'
The two teams on the grid who run concessions, KTM and Aprilia, will be the only two outfits allowed to upgrade their engines and aero packages through 2020.
Normal engine and aero development is then set to resume when racing (hopefully) begins in 2020.
