Resuming our CRT Q&A with the most frequent question:
Why?
Dorna has been unable to persuade Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA) factories to lower their lease prices. At the same time the MSMA has been unable to maintain the original 'promise' of five factory two-bike teams. Originally, at the dawn of the switch from MotoGP 990s to the current 800cc fours, the then five members in good standing of the MSMA -- Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Ducati -- were contracted to enter a minimum of two factory bikes per team during the five-year period from 2007 through the 2011 season.
First to fall short of commitment was Kawasaki in 2009. Dorna threatened legal action but compromised when Kawasaki agreed to run a single bike ridden by Marco Melandri, but not in Kawasaki green. But the bike, with no evolution over the year, was run under the name of Hayate and in black.
Then for 2011 Suzuki went to a single bike with Álvaro Bautista riding, but pledged to "do their best" to put two 1000cc bikes on the track in 2012.
As it stands today Suzuki have made no commitment. They could start the season with an 800 and replace it with a 1000cc later in the 2012 season or they might even turn up with two 1000cc bikes. Or they might pull out of MotoGP, leaving the once powerful MSMA with only three participating members.
Assuming a worst-case scenario, Dorna would start the first year of the MotoGP 1000cc class with as few as 12 factory-supplied bikes, with two factory riders and two satellite riders from each manufacturer, Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati.
With lease costs exceeding the capabilities of even such well-funded organizations as Team Aspar, the wisdom of stretching monies provided by sponsors and by Dorna/IRTA by running CRT bikes is persuasive.
Unlike leasing arrangements, the team is not renting but investing in frames, engines, and technology -- and, if some national championships begin to cater to CRT bikes (the Spanish CEV is likely to open their Superstock Extreme 1000cc class to CRT bikes, creating a two-tiered series), then CRT teams will even have a market to sell off the previous year's bike.
