MotoGP increasingly like F1, only one bike in 2027?
In MotoGP there could be a regulatory revolution that would add to the technical one, already planned starting next winter. At the center of discussions between organizers, manufacturers, and teams is the possibility of abolishing the second bike. The proposal, reported by the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com, would arise from the need to reduce costs in terms of parts production and personnel within the pits in the next 2027-2031 cycle. To be introduced, the possible limitation of bikes available for each rider during the race weekend would require the approval of the FIM and a favorable vote in the Grand Prix Commission.
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The manufacturers themselves would want to eliminate the second bike, following the example of what has already happened in F1 since 2008 (the year the spare car disappeared). Also in the feeder categories (Moto2, Moto3) and in Superbike, a single prototype per rider has been used for years: in production-based series, however, a system is provided that allows the use of the second bike in case of irreparable damage to the main one. It is possible that MotoGP will follow this latter path, seeking a middle way.
From a technical and strategic point of view, such a change would radically alter the work of the teams. Today teams can indeed prepare two bikes with different setups, allowing riders to evaluate alternative solutions during practice and qualifying. With only one bike available, this possibility would disappear, forcing engineers and riders to make much quicker and more definitive decisions on the setup. Of course, the issue of crashes must also be considered: every fall would carry much more weight, slow down the learning process towards races, and could compromise the entire weekend.
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With the farewell to the second bike, flag-to-flag races would also disappear, held when weather conditions change during the Sprint or the GP. If the change were approved, riders would no longer be able to switch from one bike to another but would enter the pit lane for a tire change, following the Superbike model.
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