On the eve of a change in the minimum age for all categories in the World Motorcycling Championship, the GP Commission announced on Wednesday (6) a series of changes that include an exception for the winner of the European Moto2 Championship. The rules already provide privileges for the winners of the Moto3 World Junior Championship and the Red Bull Rookies Cup for access to the entry class
The GP Commission announced on Wednesday (6) another exception to the rule that will raise the minimum age of riders in the World Motorcycle Championship. From 2023, all categories of the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) top championship will require competitors to be 18 years old, but the European Moto2 champion will be able to debut in the intermediate class at 17.
At the end of last year, in the wake of the deaths of Jason Dupasquier in Moto3, Hugo Millán in the European Talent Cup, and Dean Berta Viñales in the World Supersport 300, the body headed by Portugal's Jorge Viegas decided to make changes.s Jorge Viegas decided to promote changes and require a minimum of 18 years also for the Moto3 and Moto2 World Championships - in MotoGP, this was already a requirement.
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From the start, however, exceptions were planned, but only for the entry class. Winners of the Moto3 Junior World Championship or the Red Bull Rookies Cup could compete in the Moto3 World Championship as young as 16 in 2023 or as young as 17 in 2024.
Now, however, the Commission composed of Carmelo Ezpeleta, executive director of Dorna, promoter of the World Championship; Paul Duparc of the FIM; Hervé Poncharal, president of IRTA (International Racing Teams Association); and Biense Bierma of the MSMA (Motorcycle Manufacturers Association).s (MSMA), in the presence of Carlos Ezpeleta, also from the Spanish company; Mike Trimby of IRTA; and Corrado Cecchinelli, MotoGP's director of technology, decided to make an exception also in the intermediate division.
For next year, the winner of the European Moto2 Championship will be able to make his debut in the Moto2 World Championship at the age of 17.
It is worth remembering, however, that the regulations provide for a "smooth transition", ensuring that those who reached the Moto3 World Championship in 2022 at the age of 16, as is the case of David Muñoz, can continue competing next year even without having the required 18 years of age.
The GP Commission also approved immediate changes to the technical regulations for Moto3 and Moto2. According to the group, Moto3 teams are now using elongated grips to allow riders to slide their hands towards the fork to produce an aerodynamic effect on the straights, a practice considered "extremely dangerous, due to the fact that the rider has less control of the bike in this position. Therefore, from now on, the maximum permitted total length of Moto3 and Moto2 grips will be 130 mm.
In addition, the GP Commission also approved changes to the sport regulations for 2023, including testing restrictions for Moto3 and Moto2. According to the group, they received "requests from teams to reduce the number of private testing days allowed, mainly due to the increased number of events on the calendar.
Therefore, starting in 2023, testing will be restricted to:
- one three-day battery before the start of the season (does not change);
- four additional days of private testing (the current limit is seven days).
The group, however, has not limited rookie testing in the period between the last race of the year and November 30. In addition, the GP Commission has applied a concession system similar to MotoGP's in Moto2 to allow testing by chassis builders who have not earned more than six concession points in the previous two years. "These teams will be classified as 'concession teams,'" he explained.
As is the case in MotoGP, concession points will be distributed based on results:
- Win = three concession points
- Second place = two award points
- Third place = one award point
The teams benefiting from the concessions will be able to conduct
- three days of official testing before the start of the season
- seven additional days of private testing.
Starting next year, the Moto3 chassis package has also undergone a price change. The complete package with just the engine, ECU/Datalogger, transponder, and organizer data receiver will be limited to €87,000. The current price is €85,000.
Teams that want to transfer their machines from 2022 to 2023 can purchase a fault detection and upgrade kit (unified IMU + unified power module + harness) for €2,000 (excluding tax).
The last decision communicated by the GP Commission concerns motorcycle height adjustment devices. Now popular - and controversial - in MotoGP, these features were already banned in Moto3 and Moto2 when the bikes are in motion, but are now also banned at the start.
MotoGP is now on vacation and will resume on August 7 with the British GP at Silverstone.GRANDE PRÊMIO is following all the activities of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship.