Wanted to post this for those not familiar with MOTO GP, this explains more or less everything you need to know about this awesome sport:thumbup:
A lot of reading, but worth it if you're a new fan. This can also be used for a quick reference guide if you have a question about something.
Overview
MotoGP™ is the premier motorcycle racing World Championship; an eighteen-race series visiting thirteen countries, four continents and with pan-global television coverage. Ten nationalities of the world’s most skilled riders line a grid armed with cutting-edge motorcycle technology with prototype machinery fielded by three manufacturers; Ducati, Yamaha and Honda.
Established as a World Championship by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) in 1949, MotoGP is now into its 65th year. It is the oldest motorsports championship in the world and the premier-class of three racing classes that take to the track on a typical Grand Prix weekend. Formerly labelled ‘500cc’, the championship underwent a change in 2002 with new technical regulations permitting the introduction of four-stroke machinery and increasing the engine capacity to 990cc, thus becoming MotoGP. From 2007 the rules were altered, limiting engine capacity to 800cc, and once again from 2012, setting the maximum engine displacement at 1000cc. MotoGP has been administrated by commercial rights owners Dorna Sports under the supervision of the FIM since 1992.
MotoGP™ has a rich history with Grand Prix events having taken place in every corner of the world throughout the last 65 years. More than 2.4 million people came through the gates of the circuits to watch MotoGP in 2013. Italy, Great Britain, Spain, the USA and Australia are just some of the nationalities that have all totalled high numbers in terms of race victories and world titles, the details of which can be found in the Results & Statistics section.
As well as the premier class there are also two ultra-competitive World Championship Grand Prix categories, which form part of ‘MotoGP™’. The Moto3™ (formerly 125cc) and Moto2™ (formerly 250cc) World Championships have their own races at each Grand Prix, meaning that by the end of the season three champions are crowned.
RACE WEEKENDS
On a Grand Prix weekend there is a race in each of MotoGP’s three categories:
Moto3™ – The 4-stroke, 250cc, single-cylinder class replaced the 125cc GP category in 2012. The maximum age for riders is 28 (25 for wild-card riders or those newly contracted and competing in a Moto3 for the first time) and the minimum age is 16.
Moto2™ – The Moto2™ class replaced the 250cc category from 2010. Honda is the sole engine supplier, and Dunlop provides the tyres. The bikes are powered by a 600cc 4-stroke engine, producing around 140hp, and the design and construction of the chassis is free within the constraints of the FIM Grand Prix Technical Regulations. The main frame, swingarm, fuel tank, seat and fairing/bodywork from a non-prototype (i.e. series production road-homologated) motorcycle may not be used. The minimum age for riders is 16.
MotoGP™ – The ultimate test for the finest talents in motorcycle racing, in which the maximum engine capacity is the aforementioned 1000cc (4-stroke engines) and the minimum age for riders is 18.
At selected events the race timetable is augmented further by the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup – initiatives designed to unearth future MotoGP stars from across the world.
A Grand Prix event takes place over three days, with the first two of those for practice and qualification for each class. MotoGP changed its qualifying format for 2013, whereby riders would need to qualify for a slot in the top-ten qualifying session by posting competitive times during any of the free practices. A “second-tier” qualifying then takes place with the slower riders on Saturday, yet has the incentive of the top two making it into the top qualifying session shortly after. For Moto2 and Moto3 the qualifying format remained the same. The third day is race-day.
MotoGP™ Qualifying explained:
As in previous years, there will be three 45-minute Free Practice sessions, which on a regular race weekend will be held Friday morning and afternoon, as well as Saturday morning. The difference this year will be that the times set in those sessions will count towards Qualifying, with the combined results determining whether a rider will participate in Q1 or Q2.
Q1 will consist of the riders whose times are 11th place and below, and will be a 15-minute session. During this time riders will have the incentive to qualify for Q2, which the two fastest of the session will be able to contest. This will result in 12 riders contesting the final 15-minute Q2 session, to determine the starting order at the front. The riders not in the fastest two places in QP1 will take grid positions 13 and above according to their placement in QP1.
To accommodate for any unforeseen changes or necessary adjustments, there will be a 30 minute Free Practice 4, which will be held before the two Qualifying sessions. This will not be timed, nor count towards which Qualifying a rider will take part in.
1. The three existing sessions of free practice will be unchanged, however, the combined times from those sessions will determine participation in the final qualifying practice.
2. The ten fastest riders will be seeded through to Qualifying Practice 2 (QP2).
3. All other riders will take part in Qualifying Practice 1 (QP1).
4. The fastest two riders in QP1 will progress to QP2, making a total of 12 riders competing for the first 12 grid positions.
5. The riders not in the fastest two places in QP1 will take grid positions 13 and above according to their times in QP1.
After warm-up sessions for each category on race-day, traditionally the smallest category, in this case Moto3™, takes to the track first, with the Moto2™ class following and then finally the MotoGP™ event. This can be subject to change however. Races vary in length between 95-130km and normally last between 40-45 minutes, conforming to a set number of laps, which differs at each track. Pit-stops are rare but permitted, and are especially applicable in changeable weather conditions when riders can enter the pit-lane and switch machines to one fitted with different spec tyres (only MotoGP™).
RIDERS
The current MotoGP World Champion is Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez, who in 2013 claimed his first premier-class title in his rookie season, breaking numerous records along the way. The Championship saw Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo finish a very close runner-up behind him after some spectacular duels between the pair along the way, with Repsol’s Dani Pedrosa finishing third after a year with mixed fortunes.
In 2014 the MotoGP class is joined by a selection of new riders – known as Rookies – who will ensure that the level of competition and racing ability remains at an exceptionally high level. 2013 Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro moves up to the premier-class, taking Cal Crutchlow’s vacant seat in the Tech 3 outfit, with additional rookies Scott Redding and Mike di Meglio going to the GO&FUN Honda Gresini and Avintia Blusens team respectively. Also making his MotoGP debut will be Australian Broc Parkes with PBM’s CRT machine. The list of participants in each Grand Prix is composed of the permanent riders, contracted and nominated by their teams for the whole season, and wildcard entries – who are often local riders. Approximately 24 participants will line up each MotoGP race, and about 35 take part in each Moto2 and Moto3 race.
Riders from around the globe take part in the World Championships including the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UK, USA and Venezuela.
For profiles of every rider from all three Grand Prix categories visit our dedicated Riders & Teams section.
MotoGP™ also has close links with the Riders for Health charity, which helps health workers in Africa have access to reliable transportation so they can reach the most isolated people with regular and predictable health care.
A lot of reading, but worth it if you're a new fan. This can also be used for a quick reference guide if you have a question about something.
Overview
MotoGP™ is the premier motorcycle racing World Championship; an eighteen-race series visiting thirteen countries, four continents and with pan-global television coverage. Ten nationalities of the world’s most skilled riders line a grid armed with cutting-edge motorcycle technology with prototype machinery fielded by three manufacturers; Ducati, Yamaha and Honda.
Established as a World Championship by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) in 1949, MotoGP is now into its 65th year. It is the oldest motorsports championship in the world and the premier-class of three racing classes that take to the track on a typical Grand Prix weekend. Formerly labelled ‘500cc’, the championship underwent a change in 2002 with new technical regulations permitting the introduction of four-stroke machinery and increasing the engine capacity to 990cc, thus becoming MotoGP. From 2007 the rules were altered, limiting engine capacity to 800cc, and once again from 2012, setting the maximum engine displacement at 1000cc. MotoGP has been administrated by commercial rights owners Dorna Sports under the supervision of the FIM since 1992.
MotoGP™ has a rich history with Grand Prix events having taken place in every corner of the world throughout the last 65 years. More than 2.4 million people came through the gates of the circuits to watch MotoGP in 2013. Italy, Great Britain, Spain, the USA and Australia are just some of the nationalities that have all totalled high numbers in terms of race victories and world titles, the details of which can be found in the Results & Statistics section.
As well as the premier class there are also two ultra-competitive World Championship Grand Prix categories, which form part of ‘MotoGP™’. The Moto3™ (formerly 125cc) and Moto2™ (formerly 250cc) World Championships have their own races at each Grand Prix, meaning that by the end of the season three champions are crowned.
RACE WEEKENDS
On a Grand Prix weekend there is a race in each of MotoGP’s three categories:
Moto3™ – The 4-stroke, 250cc, single-cylinder class replaced the 125cc GP category in 2012. The maximum age for riders is 28 (25 for wild-card riders or those newly contracted and competing in a Moto3 for the first time) and the minimum age is 16.
Moto2™ – The Moto2™ class replaced the 250cc category from 2010. Honda is the sole engine supplier, and Dunlop provides the tyres. The bikes are powered by a 600cc 4-stroke engine, producing around 140hp, and the design and construction of the chassis is free within the constraints of the FIM Grand Prix Technical Regulations. The main frame, swingarm, fuel tank, seat and fairing/bodywork from a non-prototype (i.e. series production road-homologated) motorcycle may not be used. The minimum age for riders is 16.
MotoGP™ – The ultimate test for the finest talents in motorcycle racing, in which the maximum engine capacity is the aforementioned 1000cc (4-stroke engines) and the minimum age for riders is 18.
At selected events the race timetable is augmented further by the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup – initiatives designed to unearth future MotoGP stars from across the world.
A Grand Prix event takes place over three days, with the first two of those for practice and qualification for each class. MotoGP changed its qualifying format for 2013, whereby riders would need to qualify for a slot in the top-ten qualifying session by posting competitive times during any of the free practices. A “second-tier” qualifying then takes place with the slower riders on Saturday, yet has the incentive of the top two making it into the top qualifying session shortly after. For Moto2 and Moto3 the qualifying format remained the same. The third day is race-day.
MotoGP™ Qualifying explained:
As in previous years, there will be three 45-minute Free Practice sessions, which on a regular race weekend will be held Friday morning and afternoon, as well as Saturday morning. The difference this year will be that the times set in those sessions will count towards Qualifying, with the combined results determining whether a rider will participate in Q1 or Q2.
Q1 will consist of the riders whose times are 11th place and below, and will be a 15-minute session. During this time riders will have the incentive to qualify for Q2, which the two fastest of the session will be able to contest. This will result in 12 riders contesting the final 15-minute Q2 session, to determine the starting order at the front. The riders not in the fastest two places in QP1 will take grid positions 13 and above according to their placement in QP1.
To accommodate for any unforeseen changes or necessary adjustments, there will be a 30 minute Free Practice 4, which will be held before the two Qualifying sessions. This will not be timed, nor count towards which Qualifying a rider will take part in.
1. The three existing sessions of free practice will be unchanged, however, the combined times from those sessions will determine participation in the final qualifying practice.
2. The ten fastest riders will be seeded through to Qualifying Practice 2 (QP2).
3. All other riders will take part in Qualifying Practice 1 (QP1).
4. The fastest two riders in QP1 will progress to QP2, making a total of 12 riders competing for the first 12 grid positions.
5. The riders not in the fastest two places in QP1 will take grid positions 13 and above according to their times in QP1.
After warm-up sessions for each category on race-day, traditionally the smallest category, in this case Moto3™, takes to the track first, with the Moto2™ class following and then finally the MotoGP™ event. This can be subject to change however. Races vary in length between 95-130km and normally last between 40-45 minutes, conforming to a set number of laps, which differs at each track. Pit-stops are rare but permitted, and are especially applicable in changeable weather conditions when riders can enter the pit-lane and switch machines to one fitted with different spec tyres (only MotoGP™).
RIDERS
The current MotoGP World Champion is Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez, who in 2013 claimed his first premier-class title in his rookie season, breaking numerous records along the way. The Championship saw Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo finish a very close runner-up behind him after some spectacular duels between the pair along the way, with Repsol’s Dani Pedrosa finishing third after a year with mixed fortunes.
In 2014 the MotoGP class is joined by a selection of new riders – known as Rookies – who will ensure that the level of competition and racing ability remains at an exceptionally high level. 2013 Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro moves up to the premier-class, taking Cal Crutchlow’s vacant seat in the Tech 3 outfit, with additional rookies Scott Redding and Mike di Meglio going to the GO&FUN Honda Gresini and Avintia Blusens team respectively. Also making his MotoGP debut will be Australian Broc Parkes with PBM’s CRT machine. The list of participants in each Grand Prix is composed of the permanent riders, contracted and nominated by their teams for the whole season, and wildcard entries – who are often local riders. Approximately 24 participants will line up each MotoGP race, and about 35 take part in each Moto2 and Moto3 race.
Riders from around the globe take part in the World Championships including the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UK, USA and Venezuela.
For profiles of every rider from all three Grand Prix categories visit our dedicated Riders & Teams section.
MotoGP™ also has close links with the Riders for Health charity, which helps health workers in Africa have access to reliable transportation so they can reach the most isolated people with regular and predictable health care.