Two years of cost cutting measures in MotoGP especially on the length of practice sessions had left harried and frazzled mechanics and grumpy riders, but now the GP Commission has decided to reinstate four one-hour sessions, which will no doubt make Valentino Rossi happy as he’s been the rider in the last year who has had the most problems in finding a decent set-up, but how it will pan out with 6 engine restriction rule will have to been seen.
The Moto2 class will see four sessions of 45 minutes, while the 125cc class will have two sessions of 45 minutes on Friday and Saturday morning, and two sessions of half an hour in the afternoons, but we expect that when the 125cc class heads into Moto3 in 2012, the rules will probably change again.
The Moto2 and 125cc riders per row has also been tweaked for 2011, making it three per row, rather than the previous four.
GPS technology on MotoGP bikes has also be restricted to only Dorna issue.
GPS is used to locate each motorcycle on the race track and therefore allows set-up to be fine tuned for each corner.
The GP Commission is also accepting bids from companies who want become the exclusive suppliers of spec ECU’s (including traction and launch control), tires and fuel and oil for the new 2012 Moto3 class, which will replace the 125cc World Championship.
Here’s the FIM’s press release:FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Decision of the Grand Prix CommissionThe Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs.
Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport), Hervé Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Javier Alonso (Dorna), Claude Danis (FIM Safety Officier) and M.
Paul Butler (Secretary of the meeting), in a meeting held on 09 December in Madrid(Spain), unanimously decided the following:Application 20111.
Practice Time schedule: Two days for each class.
MotoGP: 4 sessions of 60 minutes.
Moto2: 4 sessions of 45 minutes.
125cc: 2 sessions of 45 minutes (morning) and 2 sessions of 30 minutes (afternoon).
2.
Grid position for each class: 3 riders per row.
3.
Generator for tyre warmers are permitted on the grid for the 3 classes.
4.
In MotoGP, only the GPS provided by Dorna is permitted.
Application 2012 For Moto31.
ECU: There will be a single supplier.
Proposals must be handed to the FIM and Dorna by 28 February 2011 at the latest.
The final decision will be announced by the GP Commission on 19 March 2011.
See specifications below:Requested hardware features for Engine Management:# Single-cylinder management (2 independent fuel injectors, one ignition driver)# Up to 14,500rpm# At least 10 analog inputs (0-5V 10bit resolution) for analog sensors and temperature sensors# UEGO lambda sensor input and management# At least 4 input capture for wheel speeds and crank/cam sensors# At least 4 ON/OFF inputs for switches# Fuel Pump relay driver# Stepper motor driver for throttle bypass/exhaust valve# High speed CAN line (1Mbit/s)# PC-ECU plug’n’play communication cable# Internal data logger:At least 8Mbyte internal memory Not less than 200Hz max sampling frequency Not less than 64 max logging channels CAN line data downloadRequested software strategies:# Ignition/injection management# Self-mapping with lambda closed loop strategy# Not less than 3 engine maps selectable by the rider# Pit limiter# Traction control# Power shift (i.
e.
ignition cut-off)# Launch control# IDLE (i.
e.
engine brake) control (throttle bypass)Software equipment:# Engine and strategy calibration tool# Logger management tool# Data download/analysis tool for logged data (2D)Miscellanea:# Track attendance at all events (Moto3 races and DS/IRTA tests): Technical assistance to all teams, Assistance to FIM for regulations checks/enforcing# ECU quantities: 40pcs for the 2012 season, spares stock for 5 years# Base calibration for any engine entered to Moto32.
TYRES: There will be a single supplier.
Proposals must be handed to the FIM and Dorna by 28 February 2011 at the latest.
The final decision will be announced by the GP Commission on 19 March 2011.
3.
FUEL/OIL: There will be a single supplier.
Proposals must be handed to the FIM and Dorna by 28 February 2011 at the latest.
The final decision will be announced by the GP Commission on 19 March 2011.
