FIAT Yamaha Team's Valentino Rossi (Photo: Yamaha Racing)

Byzantine Rule-Making Processes

Ezpeleta was originally opposed to single tire rules, but changed his opinion on this and took MotoGP to the brink of a control tire situation until Bridgestone and Michelin backed down…Bridgestone agreeing to supply Valentino Rossi and Michelin agreeing to allow this (having originally threatened to pull out if they lost Rossi to Bridgestone).

With this threat of intervention in rule making averted for the time being (but still an option if relative parity is not achieved by Bridgestone and Michelin in 2008), Dorna's CEO has now turned his attention to electronics.

He admits it will be difficult to convince the factories, but, unless the fans come back to the sofas in front of TV sets in the key European markets next season, Ezpeleta may find traction for his idea of getting rid of traction control.

The Byzantine processes of MotoGP rule making is not easy to understand and the processes are not public knowledge, but some of this was revealed this past fall when Dorna was poised to propose a single tire rule proposal.

There are four groups involved in rule making: Dorna, IRTA (teams), the FIM (International Federation), and the MSMA (manufacturers). IRTA invariably support Dorna. The FIM vote is determined by the FIM president. The MSMA vote is decided by simple majority of its seven current member factories.

However, with regards to technical regulations, the MSMA can veto a proposal even if the FIM, Dorna, and IRTA support it. This veto requires all members of the MSMA to vote against the measure (likewise the MSMA can pass a technical rule even over opposition by the other three parties if all MSMA members are in favor.)

In the case of the single-tire proposal, Dorna had the support of IRTA. The FIM would probably (from opinions expressed in interviews by FIM President Vito Ippolito) have voted no. The MSMA would certainly have voted no as well, but at least one member (probably Yamaha, to support Rossi) would have voted with Dorna and, therefore, the MSMA negative vote would not have constituted a veto.

This would have created a 2-2 tie among the deciders, but Dorna hold the power to cast the tiebreak vote.

On the matter of electronics, however, Dorna would be unlikely to make the proposal without achieving a favorable consensus among the manufacturers due to the sensitivity of the matter and the investment of the top MotoGP teams in systems.

Ezpeleta, however, showed his determination when he threatened to impose a single tire rule and no one should doubt that, if the racing continues to disappoint in 2008, he will stand up to the manufacturers and propose a standard ECU.

Roberts: "Carmelo is Saying the Right Things."

Three time 500 World Champion Kenny Roberts, who is in the final do-or-die stages of negotiation with a major sponsor for his MotoGP team, told SpeedTV.com in response to the Ezpeleta interview, "Carmelo is saying the right things. We need to get rid of traction control, launch control, and wheelie control, and we need to get everybody on the same tires. That is the only way to get costs down and keep the show exciting. For Carmelo it will mean convincing the factories. If he didn't have to please the factories he'd act on his own.

"What I can't understand is why Flammini doesn't ban traction control in World Superbike. He's got a lot more independence from the factories. Maybe he didn't do it because Ducati needed traction control to be competitive with the twin, but now they have the 1200. If Flammini doesn't ban it he'll be making a stupid mistake.

"But, the hard part is not banning traction control. The hard part is enforcing the rules. That's what NASCAR knows how to do. You need to hire the best electronics guys and ask them how they would cheat and then tell them to make sure nobody gets away with anything."

Many experienced observers, Roberts and Mamola among them, believe that electronic rider aids have made the bikes less exciting to watch because they rarely slide.

"Even if the tires let the guys run close together," says Mamola, "there is little passing off the corners because the electronics are taking over. Remember how bitchin' it used to be to see Doohan crawling all over that 500, smoking the tire, backin' it in and firin' it out? That made it fun to watch even if Mick was on his own. That's what we have lost. It is just as hard to win as ever. Casey won because he was right on the limit and because he didn't make mistakes, but you watch it on TV and it doesn't look exciting anymore."

In a recent interview Rossi said, "The first time I rode the Honda with traction control I came in and told JB (crew chief Jeremy Burgess), "F-k, this isn't fun anymore."

Until now criticisms of this kind were ignored or dismissed by Ezpeleta, but his statements in the Italian press indicate that he has changed his opinions regarding electronics just as he did at mid-season with regard to tires.

There is a Spanish saying that goes, "Rectificar es de sabios," or "to rectify is an act of wise men."