Always wanted to follow MotoGP but never understood it? Well check out our new blogpost, " MotoGP An Untold Story" to know the ins and outs of it, just in time to catch the new season.

1. MotoGP an Untold Story
From the trenches of the world war to the yakuza gangs in Japan, and now to the
Asphalt tracks of the MotoGP, bikes have a ubiquitous presence in almost every
major event in the world. With such a rich history, it makes sense to celebrate
motorcycles and what’s the first thing that pops into your m ind when you hear
motorcycle racing?..
9 out of 10 people will probably say MotoGP, even if people don’t watch it, they’ll
surely know about it, that’s how synonymous the term MotoGP is with
motorcycles.
But beforewegetto thenitty-gritty details,let’slook at howMotoGP came to be whatit is today.

2. Evolution of MotoGP:
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, established in 1949, acts as a governing
body and presides over all the motorcycle events. This year also marked the beginning
of the world racing championships, where Grand Prix motorcycles were raced.
These were custom-built bikes and were unavailable for public use, frankly, public
roads back then wouldn’t have supported such high-speed machines.
Most races during this time period used street legal motorcycles with a few
modifications. So building a bike only for the purpose of racing them was an alien
concept.

3. Several teams with various bike configurations participated in these events and
hence to level the playing field, classes were introduced based on engine size, like,
50cc, 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, and 750cc and most of them using a four-
stroke combustion process.
To make it more interesting a class for sidecars was also introduced. Cause why not?
The1950s

4. With an increasing number of teams competing and with advancing technologies,
two-stroke engines were introduced for the smaller classes.
Until this point there wasn’t a specific set of rules decided for each class, this however
caused disadvantage for some smaller teams as they couldn’t afford the technology or
skill to compete with the bigger ones.
Hence in 1969, the FIM cam e up with a standard set of rules every team had to follow,
these being; the number of gears restricted to 6 and, classes below 350cc to use only 2
cylinder engines.
Now, this pissed off major teams like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki as these restrictions
prevented them from using their far superior machines and thus dominating the
championships.
The championships were now mostly dominated by smaller Italian teams up until the
mid-70s, which had perfected the smaller engine segment.
The1960s

5. However, after 1975, both the FIM and the major teams realised that a huge goldmine
was being unexploited and thus calling a truce. A four-cylinder configuration for the
higher displacement engines, 350cc and more was allowed, and this thus marked the
return of the bigger teams.
Up until 2002, this system continued, after which a special class for 500cc engines
was introduced.To makethisclassstand outfrom therest,it wasrebrandedas MotoGP.
Over the years, the engine size has been increased to 800cc and currently sits at a
whoopingly fast 1000cc.
As of today, several other changes are employed, with multiple engines allowed for an
individual team, 7 to be specific for one race year, bigger fuel tanks, better brakes with a
larger budget. All of this allows for a more exciting and safer Championship.

6. You’ve got 20-22 riders, representing different teams and different manufacturers, who
battle it out for 19 races all over the world for almost a year. Each team consists of two
riders, thus making up 10-11teams.
The rider with the most points at the end of the competition wins the world
championship and the team with the most points wins the team championship and
the manufacturer can also compete for a constructors championship.
Now while this is just a basic outline of a typical MotoGP championship, there’s a lot
going on behind those tinted helmets.

7. Brand involvement in MotoGP
It’s hard to believe but in the beginning, riders themselves had to pay for their seat,
and take care of other expenses, this was mainly because motorcycle races were not
very popularandconsideredmoreof afun pastimefor theupperechelon of thesociety.
However, with increasing revenue, people began sponsoring different riders and
building teams in a bid to gain popularity for themselves and their brand.
Initially, the livery consisted of the rider’s or the team’s national colours, but sponsors in
an attempt to promote their brand started making custom liveries for the drivers and
team members.

8. Several iconic liveries such as the orange Honda Repsol Factory team and the Suzuki
RGV500 Pepsi have gained worldwide recognition.
Presently a race calendar budget can be about 10 million Euros, with some teams even
spending 15million Euros.
Prize money usually starts at 11 million euros for the winning rider, with the last place
being paid anywhere from 100 to 200 thousand euros for the last position.
Unlike the other major motorsport events, teams and constructors do not earn any prize
money. However, winning teams do earn bragging rights and a considerable amount of
brand promotion.
R ace Format:
A typical race takes place over a three-day weekend.

9. Friday:
Consists of 4 practice sessions,
FP1, FP2,FP3,FP4.
The first three practice sessions are timed and the top 10 drivers at the end of FP3,
directly make it to QP2 which is held on Saturday.
The remaining drivers go into QP1.
The top two drivers from QP1 get another go at the top 10 positions and are allowed
into QP2.
The remaining drivers are arranged as per their lap times.
F P 4 is mainly held so that teams can set up necessary configurations and get ready
for the race.
So by the time the day ends, the positions 13-20 are finalized and practice sessions
are concluded.
Saturday:
The QP(2), where the positions 1-12 are decided, is held on a Saturday.
Sunday:
Race day.
Race day begins with a 15-minute warm-up session, this is to provide the teams with
a window to assess the day’s situation and conditions and make any necessary
tweaks.
After this, the riders take up their respective grid positions.
In case a rider has a false start or is unable to start, then he still has a chance to begin
the race until the leader has finished 1lap.
Races are a sprint from start to finish, covering about 100 to 130km and do not
include any pit stops unless an emergency arises.
Races usually last for 45 minutes, not accounting for any unpredicted events, like rain
or a crash.

10. The Circuit:
As of today, 73 tracks have hosted a MotoGP race, the first being held at Snaefell
Mountain Course which also hosts the Isle of Man TT, one of the most dangerous
racing events ever.
Various types of tracks have been used over the years such as the Suz uka
International R ac i ng Course, which is a track built especially for Motorcycle racing,
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which also hosts other racing events and street circuit
Montjuïc circuit.
Scoring System
As mentioned earlier, there are 3 championships to be considered.

11. The riders are scored based on the position they finish, with the winner getting 25,
2nd scoring 20, 3rd-16 and so on and the 15th position getting 1point.
Riders finishing lower are not awarded any points.
For the teams, the points won by both the riders representing a particular team are
added and considered for the championships.

12. Now with a few major manufacturers operating in MotoGP, riders sometimes might
use a c o m m o n engine even though they are in different teams.
Now in the case where three riders represent the same constructor, the points from
the rider finishing highest are only considered.
So in the case where a rider using Yamaha finishes 5th and another finishes 7th,
then the points for the 5th position only is used, this rule applies even in the case of
multiple drivers using the same engine.

13. With improved bikes and better-skilled riders, MotoGP has witnessed quite a few
intense rivalries. Whether it’s Rossi v Lorenzo v Marquez or Hutchinson v Dunlop.
The fierce competition not only offers for an exciting racing calendar year for the
fans but also brings in new fans owing to the large buzz such rivalries create.
Let’s not even get into rivalries now because that’s a separate history lesson in itself,
that’s why you should definitely read our blog post, MotoGP: A fight for the throne.

14. However fun it might look, there’s no doubt that a rider is taking a huge risk when he
steps out for a race. With riders reaching almost 250km/h, safety becomes a high
priority.
Safety gear in such cases is mandatory. Carbon fibre helmets, impact-absorbing
armour suits with an inflatable built-in airbag inside the suit, knee sliders, gloves,
boots, and a fireproof inner suit goes a long way in protecting the rider.
In the case where the tracks are wet, due to rain, riders can opt for a wet/slick
tyre that offers better traction and control.
Also whenever there’s a crash, a marshal waves a yellow flag, indicating the same,
thus preventing the riders from overtaking and thus adhere to a speed limit. This is
continued until the crash is cleared. If the crash proves to be a major one, races can
be red-flagged and stopped until the track is cleared.

15. As you can see MotoGP is not just fun and games. A lot goes behind conducting a
successful racing year. It employs thousands of people around the world and
entertains millions. With further advancement in technology, the motorcycle
racing world is bound to get more exciting.