Dennis Noyes's avatar
Author:
Dennis Noyes
Login For More
Rate this article:
  • 0/5 Stars
SPEEDtv.com Store
DVD: David Jefferies Story
The David Jefferies Story is a reminder of the much loved and much missed Yorkshireman.
Our Price: $24.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Man-Made Thunder
The book examines the sport of stock car racing through the eyes and ears of the men behind the wheel and the wrenches.
Our Price: $49.00
Visit Button
Buy Button
Unisex Sandwich Cap
Unisex Velcro back hat with SPEED logo on front. PINKS logo embroidered on left and PAO logo on right. One size fits all.
Our Price: $24.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Speedway T-shirt
Men's 6 oz. 100% Cotton Jersey Short Sleeve Tee. SPEED logo imprinted on the front center chest.
Our Price: $24.99
Visit Button
Buy Button
Ferrari Red Classic Hat
100% cotton twill. Ferrari shield embroidered on front, piping on the peak and Ferrari logo embroidered on back strap adjuster.
Our Price: $30.00 ($27.00 Member)
Visit Button
Buy Button
Footer Bg
  • Zoom More Photos Button
  • Camera Icon
MOTOGP: Dorna CEO Advocates Limits on Electronics in MotoGP
Written by: Dennis Noyes   
12/21/2007
Borrego Springs CA
 
Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner (Photo: Ducati Corse) » More Photos

Last year's MotoGP World Championship, won by a dominant Casey Stoner on his factory Bridgestone-shod Ducati Desmosedici, was universally criticized for producing runaway wins. There were really only two truly exciting, down to the wire races in the premier class of Grand Prix racing last year: the Grand Prix of Catalunya won by Stoner over Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda) by 0.069 and 0.39 of a second, respectively, and the Portuguese GP at Estoril won by Rossi over Pedrosa by 0.175 seconds.

Statistics don't lie. In 2006 the average winning margin in MotoGP was 2.3 seconds while last year that average more than doubled to 5.447 seconds. TV audiences in key European markets plummeted and journalists and TV commentators used the B-word (boring) repeatedly.

There were several days when Bridgestone had such an advantage that the Michelin riders were out of contention and there were other days when the opposite was true. The worst of this patch of boring races came at midseason with Stoner leaving the field behind at Donington (GB), Laguna Seca (USA), Brno (Czech Republic), and Misano (Italy), while Pedrosa, on a 'Michelin day,' ran away at Sachsenring (Germany).

In the midst of this three-month, six-race spell of runaway races the only reasonably close race was won by Rossi over Stoner at Assen by just under 2 seconds, but with the outcome clear over the final laps.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta is obviously under pressure from TV companies and, perhaps, from the Bridgepoint Capital Group Limited -- the private equity company that acquired 75% ownership of Dorna from previous majority share-holders CVC Capital Partners for an estimated 650 million dollars (CVC paid some 85 million dollars for 88% of Dorna in June of 1988 with the remaining 12% going to a group led by Ezpeleta. In-house ownership by the Ezpeleta led group has now reportedly grown to 25%).

Ezpeleta went on record last week with the Italian magazine Moto Sprint, saying that the time had come to consider introducing a standard ECU in order to control the rapidly developing electronics technology in MotoGP. Obviously this would mean following Formula 1 and banning traction control.

The quote, translated from Italian: "We need to regulate it and the ideal solution would be to have a standard ECU for everyone. The manufacturers don't like the idea. It needs to be discussed further and I will bring it up with the riders,
technicians, and everyone involved."

Earlier this season in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, Ezpeleta staunchly defended traction control, saying that it was necessary for the development of road machines and that it was an important safety improvement. He dismissed critics of traction control as 'purists,' and said that he would rather have less spectacular racing than riders injured because of 'high-sider' crashes.

The most eloquent rebuttal of the safety argument came from three times 500 World Champion Wayne Rainey, confined to a wheelchair since his highside crash at Misano, Italy, in 1993. Rainey said that it seemed to him that riding MotoGP four strokes had become too easy. Rainey went on to say, "500s were probably too dangerous even after the big bang motors came along, but when they changed to four-stroke 990cc bikes that problem was really fixed. Big four-stroke engines allow wide powerbands, but still require riders to respect the limits. With traction control it looks like the bikes are too easy to ride."

Four times runner-up in the old 500 Championship Randy Mamola currently works as a commentator for Eurosport and his column on MotoGP is carried in several countries. Mamola has been, perhaps, the most outspoken critic of traction control. It was Mamola who compared riding the 800cc bikes to videogames.

Even Spain's only 500 World Champion, Alex Crivillé, who was managed during his GP career by a branch of Dorna, has openly condemned traction control, saying from the live commentary booth of Spain's TVE that electronics are spoiling racing.

But clearly the most influential critic has been Valentino Rossi, who has disliked traction control since he first experienced it. In fact he said his decision not to go to Formula 1 was largely because of the intrusiveness of traction control.

Ironically, Formula 1 will be free of traction control thanks to the use of a standard ECU unit on all cars in 2008 while in MotoGP traction control is now of vital importance. Rossi said of 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner, "He is the best of the traction control generation."

MotoGP rookies Alex de Angelis, Andrea Dovizioso, and two time 250 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo were all immediately fast on MotoGP 800s, and Dovizioso said after testing the JiR Honda RC212V for the first time, "It is easier to ride than my 250. The electronics control things very well."
Page 1 of 2
Next Page »
1 2 >