How MotoGP could turn into a snooze-fest

The answer depends mainly on the circuit. So far in 2022 the racing has been mostly lively and varied. But at one circuit in particular – Jerez for the Spanish Grand Prix in May – there was a stark reminder, not just of the tedium of F1, but also the dire days of the 800cc MotoGP formula, which ran between 2007 and 2012.

There was one position change on the second of 25 laps, and on the ninth another rider ran off, re-joining at the back. Apart from three minor swaps further back, that was about it, but for a brief flurry near the end, when Marc Marquez made a daring overtake for third on Jack Miller, only to run wide later that lap to allow Aleix Espargaro past both of them. A sterile procession.

The 800cc bikes were short of torque compared with the preceding 990cc and the subsequent (and current) 1,000cc bikes, severely rationed on fuel and laden with overbearing electronics. They all took the corners on one narrow line, and offered riders little scope for creative manoeuvres and overtaking.

MotoGP’s current regulations tend the same way. Four cylinders with a maximum 81mm bore are mandated, control electronics and control tyres further level the performance. But the boost in capacity restored enough grunt to spin the rear wheel, so there is at least something for the riders to play with. In most circumstances, this equality has led to very close racing and varied results. But at Jerez, and potentially at other slower tracks, it instead yields follow-my-leader processions.

Other crucial aspects were highlighted by the Jerez snoozer. The first concerns aerodynamics, the biggest area of recent development. The better the wings work for anti-wheelie downforce, the greater their wake turbulence. As with F1, a rider following closely is troubled by dirty air that renders his own aero less effective. Where once you could gain extra speed and duck out of the draft to overtake, you are now being buffeted about and have to drop back.

But for riders stuck behind other riders, Jerez opened another can of worms – if that is the right way to refer to Michelin’s finest tyres. The front tyre problem has been noted over the past couple of seasons, most particularly by 2021 champion and current points leader Fabio Quartararo, whose Yamaha’s reliance on high corner speed rather than brute-force acceleration leaves him particularly vulnerable. When he leads away, he is almost unbeatable, but when he’s in traffic, particularly in hot conditions, he’s in trouble. For example, at Aragon last year he had qualified on the front row, but after a poor start he was mired in the pack, and it was a struggle to finish eighth. It was, by the way, a race with minimal overtaking, but for a breathless fight between Marquez and eventual winner Pecco Bagnaia. Marquez – now sadly absent again for a fresh bout of surgery on his troublesome 2020 arm injury – could always be relied on to inject some excitement.

It’s a matter of front tyre pressure. In the lead, the tyre has enough air cooling to remain stable. Behind other bikes, it builds heat and the pressure climbs. This changes the profile and, in the sensitive world of ultra-close margins, costs grip, stability, corner speed and ultimately lap time for the especially sensitive Yamaha.

There is a protocol for tyre pressures: a specified minimum of 1.9 bar for front tyres (rear 1.7). It is actually a regulation, but only technically, since in the MotoGP class it’s not enforced by way of a gentleman’s agreement. This is because it is easy to fall foul inadvertently. Crew chiefs tend to start the race below the minimum allowance, expecting the tyre to heat up and become legal. In this way you avoid it ending up too high.

At Jerez this year, Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia led from pole to flag – and in consequence his front tyre never did reach the minimum. Post-race data proved he had been in breach of the rules all the way. Cries of “cheat” were somewhat muted since, as Bagnaia was quick to point out, if he was guilty so too was every other team and rider, on some occasion. And they were drowned out by the sound of back-pedalling, both from Michelin and Dorna’s technical staff.

The solution? Some huffing and puffing about variations due to different measuring devices, and a pledge for a standard device next year. Better still, a front tyre less sensitive to pressure changes, please Michelin.