2016 Motogp Season Preview: 8 Big Things to Watch out for This Season
This year's MotoGP season is seeing major changes intended to level the playing field and make the sport more competitive - changes that are creating the biggest shakeup in the world's premier motorcycle racing class in 15 years. Check out what these changes are, why they have every team scrambling to adjust, and why this season could be the most unpredictable in years!
The brightly lit Losail Circuit at Qatar, site of the 2016 season opener and the season's only night race.
This year, MotoGP is undergoing the biggest shakeup since the move from 2-stroke to 4-stroke engines in 2002, and the changes taking place promise to make this season one of the most unpredictable ever. While the last several seasons have been dominated by four racers so good they have been dubbed "the aliens" (Rossi, Lorenzo, Marquez, and Pedrosa), and two manufacturers with equipment and electronics so superior that no other marque has won a race since 2010 (Yamaha and Honda), this seasons changes have eliminated a lot of advantages the factories have, and have forced every team back to the drawing board.
As a result, who will come out on top in this weekends opening round is anyone's guess, and every race this season will be a learning experience for every team and rider. Check out our list of the eight biggest things to look out for this season, and see why this year's MotoGP circuit is one of the most highly-anticipated ever!
1) For The First Time Ever, Every Bike On The Grid Will Have Spec Electronics
In this digital age of racing, where a race bike's ultra-advanced electronics systems are probably even more important than its engine, the ultimate way to level the playing field would be requiring every bike to run the same system - and this year, that's exactly what MotoGP rules are requiring. Starting this season, every bike will run not only the same ECU, but the same software, supplied by Magneti Marelli.
The unified ECU from Magneti Marelli, which every bike on the grid must run, will now be running the same software as well.
Interestingly, the software was developed with input from the three major manufacturers represented in MotoGP - Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati - and all three will have to agree on any changes they feel are needed to the software, but the resulting changes will be applied to all the bikes on the grid. This will be a major blow to well-funded factory teams that excel in electronics such as Factory Yamaha and Repsol Honda, but it's a change that has been a long time coming - Yamaha and Honda have had a stranglehold on MotoGP in the electronics era, and this is a sea change that will finally allow other manufacturers and smaller teams to be more competitive.
2) Michelin Replaces Bridgestone As The Sole Tire Supplier - And Boy Are Their Tires Different
When MotoGP went to a single tire rule in 2009, Bridgestone became the supplier for every tire on the track - and it stayed that way for seven years. In 2016, the single tire rule stays in effect, but the exclusive tire supplier will now be Michelin - and already, teams are reporting drastically different behavior from the tires from the French manufacturer.
The Bridgestones were known for their massive front-end grip, allowing for extremely late and hard braking that favored the more aggressive riding style of riders like Marquez and Rossi. The new Michelins have less grip on the front end (the tires have been blamed for an inordinately high number of front-end washoutS in pre-season testing), but on the other hand, they have massive grip on the rear that allows fantastically hard drives out of corners, meaning riders will have to make huge adjustments to their riding styles to get the most out of the new tires.
So far Lorenzo seems to be the only of the "aliens" having good luck with the new Michelin tires, praising the rear for it's "fantastic" drive and setting blistering lap times during testing at Qatar.
To make things even more challenging, all MotoGP tires will now be 17", up from the 16.5" tires used in previous years. These all new tires will require a lot of adjustment for not only the riders, but for engineers programming the bikes' traction control systems - who are already being challenged by the new uniform ECU rules.
3) The U.S. Loses A Round, Austria Gains It Back
For the first time in 19 years, MotoGP racing will return to the home of Red Bull and KTM - Austria. MotoGP left Austria in 1996 because renovations needed to be made to the track. Now fully renovated and renamed "Red Bull Ring," the beautiful new track covers 2.67 miles, nestled among Alpine mountains outside the town of Spielberg.
To give a round to the Austrians, the U.S. had to lose a round, and Indianapolis was given up - while this is a loss to U.S. fans of the sport, it's not nearly as bad as the fact that there is not one American rider on the MotoGP grid this year. 2016 may be an awesome season, but it's not the best time to be an American MotoGP fan.
The fully renovated Red Bull Ring i Spielberg is the site of the new Austria GP round, gained after the U.S. lost Indianapolis this year.
4) MotoGP Gives You Wings
Sets of tiny wings, or "winglets" as they are becoming known, have been popping up all over the bodywork of MotoGP bikes this year during pre-season testing. The odd moustache-like protrusions of various shapes and sizes are being positioned at the nose of the bikes, and are said to provide downforce that will offset the effect of wheelieing, which results in a loss of energy and speed, and also enhance stability at the 200+ MPH speeds MotoGP bikes reach on the straights. The effects of winglets are currently being tested by Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha.
Winglets like these have been popping up all over MotoGP bikes in testing this year. While they do have aerodynamic benefits, they're not exactly the sexiest-looking accessories to make their way onto race bikes.
5) Suzuki and Aprilia Will Race With "Concessions"; Ducati, Yamaha, and Honda Won't
In an effort to make manufacturers that lag behind in MotoGP more competitive, the league grants technical concessions to certain manufacturers, giving them greater ability to develop their machines throughout the racing season.
Last year, Ducati was granted these concessions, but due to them gaining several podium finishes in 2015, they will be joining Honda and Yamaha in 2016 in racing without concessions - meaning the big three will be limited to 7 engines for the entire season, engine development will be frozen, and private tests can only be done for 5 days. Suzuki and Aprilia, however, will be granted concessions, allowing them 9 engines, no freeze on engine development, and unlimited testing throughout the season.
6) Aprilia Will Race An All-New Full Prototype Race Bike
After returning to MotoGP last year and racing a modified production bike with predictably lousy results, Aprilia introduced it's all-new RS-GP this year, a fully prototyped race bike built just for MotoGP that the manufacturer called "it's most ambitious project ever undertaken." Aprilia didn't expect any big finishes last year in it's first year back in the world's premiere racing class, but it did learn a lot, which allowed it to develop this bike - which is much lighter than the previous superbike-based machine, and is believed to feature a counter-rotating crankshaft.
Aprilia spent all last year acquiring data on the MotoGP track to develop this bike, the full racing prototype RS-GP.
7) Suzuki May Look Better Than Expected
After returning to MotoGP last year with an all new machine, the GSX-RR, Factory Suzuki claims to be even more ready to truly compete this year. The 2016 bike has dramatic improvements to its chassis, engine, and gearbox (now running with fully seamless shifting) and is piloted by Maverick Vinales, one of the most underrated riders on the grid, who led the Philip Island test with the fastest lap, and actually finished third in Qatar last year. With the electronics playing field leveled, all new tires for everyone, and a whole host of changes to this year's machine, Suzuki could come out swinging a lot harder than anyone expects!
Suzuki returns this year with the completely overhauled GSX-RR, piloted by Maverick Vinales, one of the most talented and hungry rider on the MotoGP grid.
8) The Tension Between Rossi and Marquez Is Still Unresolved
The big story last year, of course, was the tension between Rossi and Marquez that culminated in the infamous "kick" - a move that that sent Marquez sliding off the track, and Rossi sliding to the back of the pack at Valencia, robbing him of his shot at a tenth title. The way the rivalry ended last year left the tension between the two anything but resolved, and there is just as much a chance of it resurfacing this year when the two are in close quarters at a press conference or battling over the same piece of tarmac on the track. Add Lorenzo to the mix, who has never successfully defended a title, and probably has a chip on his shoulder over how he won the last one, and there is sure to be enough personal drama in this year's MotoGP season to fill the plot of a Spanish telenovela.
The tension between Rossi and Marquez last year started off being entertaining, but ended up becoming just plain ugly. The way the season ended made things even worse, and there is a very good chance the bad blood between the two will show itself again this year.
Overall, considering the massive changes coming to MotoGP this year in rules and equipment, the big developments coming from the manufacturers, and the huge personalities battling for a spot on the podium, the only thing we're comfortable predicting about this year's season is - it will be one of the most unpredictable ever!
This season might be unpredictable, but at least there's one thing you can always count on in MotoGP...