What is MotoGP/ Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix. The foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the international governing body for motorcycle sport in 1949 provided the opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship.

Grand Prix motorcycles are purpose-built racing machines that are unavailable for purchase by the general public and unable to be ridden legally on public roads. This contrasts with the various production-based categories of racing, such as the Superbike World Championship and the Isle of Man TT Races that feature modified versions of road-going motorcycles available to the public. The current top division is known as MotoGP since 2002 when the four-stroke era began. Prior to that, the largest class was 500cc, both of which form a historical continuum as the official World Championship, although all classes have official status.

The championship is currently divided into four classes: the eponymous MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE. The first three classes use four-stroke engines, while the MotoE class (new in 2019) uses electric motorcycles. The 2019 MotoGP season comprises 19 Grands Prix, with 12 held in Europe, three in Asia, two in the Americas, and one each in Australia and the Middle East.

The most successful rider in Grand Prix history is Giacomo Agostini with 15 titles and 122 race wins. In the top-flight series, Agostini holds the title record with eight, followed by active riders Valentino Rossi with seven and Marc Márquez with six. As of 2019, Rossi holds the record for most top-flight race wins with 89.

History

An FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was first organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1949. The commercial rights are now owned by Dorna Sports, with the FIM remaining as the sport sanctioning body. Teams are represented by the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) and manufacturers by the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA). Rules and changes to regulations are decided between the four entities, with Dorna casting a tie-breaking vote. In cases of technical modifications, the MSMA can unilaterally enact or veto changes by unanimous vote among its members. These four entities compose the Grand Prix Commission.

There have traditionally been several races at each event for various classes of motorcycles, based on engine size, and one class for sidecars. Classes for 50 cc, 80 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc, 500 cc, and 750 cc solo machines have existed at some time, and 350 cc and 500 cc sidecars. Up through the 1950s and most of the 1960s, four-stroke engines dominated all classes. In the 1960s, due to advances in engine design and technology, two-stroke engines began to take root in the smaller classes.

In 1969, the FIM—citing high development costs for non-works teams due to rules which allowed a multiplicity of cylinders (meaning smaller pistons, producing higher revs) and a multiplicity of gears (giving narrower power bands, affording higher states of tune)—brought in new rules restricting all classes to six gears and most to two cylinders (four cylinders in the case of the 350 cc and 500 cc classes). This led to a mass walk-out of the sport by the previously highly successful Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha manufacturer teams, skewing the results tables for the next several years, with MV Agusta effectively the only works team left in the sport until Yamaha (1973) and Suzuki (1974) returned with new two-stroke designs. By this time, two-strokes completely eclipsed the four-strokes in all classes. In 1979, Honda, on its return to GP racing, made an attempt to return the four-stroke to the top class with the NR500, but this project failed, and, in 1983, even Honda was winning with a two-stroke 500.

Previously, the championship featured a 50cc class from 1962 to 1983, later changed to an 80cc class from 1984 to 1989. The class was dropped for the 1990 season, after being dominated primarily by Spanish and Italian makes. It also featured a 350cc class from 1949 to 1982, and a 750 cc class from 1977 to 1979. Sidecars were dropped from world championship events in the 1990s .

Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike (2006)

From the mid-1970s through to 2001, the top class of GP racing allowed 500 cc displacement with a maximum of four cylinders, regardless of whether the engine was a two-stroke or four-stroke. This is unlike TT Formula or motocross, where two and four strokes had different engine size limits in the same class to provide similar performance. Consequently, all machines were two-strokes, since they produce power with every rotation of the crank, whereas four-stroke engines produce power only every second rotation. Some two- and three-cylinder two-stroke 500s were seen, but though they had a minimum-weight advantage under the rules, typically attained higher corner speed and could qualify well, they lacked the power of the four-cylinder machines.

In 2002, rule changes were introduced to facilitate the phasing out of the 500 cc two-strokes. The premier class was rebranded MotoGP, as manufacturers were to choose between running two-stroke engines up to 500 cc or four-strokes up to 990 cc or less. Manufacturers were also permitted to employ their choice of engine configuration. Despite the increased costs of the new four-stroke engines, they were soon able to dominate their two-stroke rivals. As a result, by 2003 no two-stroke machines remained in the MotoGP field. The 125 cc and 250 cc classes still consisted exclusively of two-stroke machines.

In 2007, the MotoGP class had its maximum engine displacement capacity reduced to 800 cc for a minimum of five years. As a result of the 2008–2009 financial crisis, MotoGP underwent changes in an effort to cut costs. Among them are reducing Friday practice sessions and testing sessions, extending the lifespan of engines, switching to a single tyre manufacturer, and banning qualifying tyres, active suspension, launch control and ceramic composite brakes. For the 2010 season, carbon brake discs were banned.

For the 2012 season, the MotoGP engine capacity was increased again to 1,000 cc. It also saw the introduction of Claiming Rule Teams (CRT), which were given more engines per season and larger fuel tanks than factory teams, but were subject to a factory team buying ("claiming") their rival's powertrain for a fixed price. The sport's governing body received applications from sixteen new teams looking to join the MotoGP class. For the 2014 season, the CRT subclass was rebranded Open, as the claiming rule was removed. Also, all entries adopted a standard engine control unit, with factory teams being allowed to run any software, and Open entries using a standard software. For the 2016 season, the Open subclass was dropped, and factory entries switched to a standard engine control unit software.

In 2010, the 250cc two-stroke class was replaced by the new Moto2 600 cc four-stroke class. In 2012, the 125cc two-stroke class was replaced by the Moto3 250cc four-stroke class with a weight limit of 65 kg with fuel.

Chronology

Pre-MotoGP era

• 1949: Start of the world championship in Grand Prix motorcycle racing for five separate categories, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and sidecars. Harold Daniell wins the first ever 500 cc Grand Prix race held at the Isle of Man TT.
• 1951: Sidecars reduced in engine capacity from 600 cc to 500 cc
• 1957: Gilera, Mondial and Moto Guzzi withdraw at the end of the season citing increasing costs. Bob McIntyre wins the longest ever Grand Prix race of 301.84 miles, held over 8 laps of the Isle of Man.^[9]
• 1958: MV Agusta win the constructors' and riders' championships in all four solo classes, a feat the team repeat in 1959 and 1960.
• 1959: Honda enters the Isle of Man TT for the first time.
• 1961: The 1961 Argentine Grand Prix is the first world championship race held outside of Europe.
• 1963: The 1963 Japanese Grand Prix is the first world championship race held in Asia.
• 1964: The 1964 United States Grand Prix is the first world championship race held in North America.
• 1966: Honda wins the constructors' championship in all five solo classes. Jim Redman wins Honda's first ever 500 cc Grand Prix at Hockenheim, also the first win for a Japanese factory in the premier class.
• 1967: Final year of unrestricted numbers of cylinders and gears. Honda withdraws in protest.
• 1968: Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) wins both the 350 cc and 500 cc titles.
• 1969: Godfrey Nash riding a Norton Manx becomes the last rider to win a 500 cc Grand Prix riding a single-cylinder machine.
• 1971: Jack Findlay rides a Suzuki TR500 to the first ever win in the 500 cc class for a two-stroke machine.
• 1972: as 1968. The death of Gilberto Parlotti at the Isle of Man TT causes multiple world champion Giacomo Agostini and other riders to boycott the next four events on grounds of safety.
• 1972: Last year of 500 cc sidecars.
• 1972: Giacomo Agostini wins his seventh consecutive 500cc championship, all with MV Agusta.
• 1973: Deaths of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini at the Italian round at Monza and cancelled.
• 1974: The Suzuki RG500 is the first square-four in the 500 cc class. The constructors' title is won by a Japanese brand and a two-stroke for the first time.
• 1975: Giacomo Agostini (Yamaha) wins the 500 cc class, making Yamaha the first non European brand to the riders' championship in the premier class with two stroke engine.
• 1976: Barry Sheene wins the first 500 cc championship for Suzuki. After the 1976 Isle of Man TT, the FIM gives in to the riders' boycott and removes the event from the Grand Prix calendar.
• 1977: 750 FIM prize becomes a world championship for 750cc machines. Barry Sheene wins the 500 cc class. The British Grand Prix moves from the Isle of Man to the Silverstone Circuit on the British mainland.
• 1978: Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) wins the 500 cc class, the first American to do so.
• 1979: Last year of the 750 cc class.
• 1980: Patrick Pons (Yamaha 500 cc) and Malcolm White (sidecar) are both killed at the Silverstone British GP.
• 1981: Marco Lucchinelli wins the 500GP world title with his Suzuki RG500 Gamma.
• 1982: Franco Uncini wins 500cc class world title riding a Suzuki RG500 Gamma.
• 1982: Last year of 350 cc class.
• 1983: Freddie Spencer (Honda) wins the 500 cc class. Spencer and Kenny Roberts win all 500cc races for the season between them.
• 1984: Michelin introduces radial tyres in GPs.
• 1984: 50 cc class replaced by 80 cc.
• 1985: Freddie Spencer (Honda) wins both the 250cc and 500cc titles.
• 1987: Push starts are eliminated.
• 1987: Wayne Gardner (Honda) wins the 500 cc class, the first Australian to do so.
• 1988: Wayne Rainey wins the first 500 cc race using carbon brakes, at the British GP.
• 1988: Alfred Heck (passenger Andreas Räcke) is killed during free practice in the French Sidecar GP.
• 1989: Iván Palazzese (Aprilia) is killed in 250 cc West German GP at Hockenheim.
• 1989: Last year of 80 cc class.
• 1990: 500 cc grid switches from five to four bikes per row.
• 1992: Honda introduces the NSR500 with a big bang engine.
• 1993: Shinichi Itoh and his fuel-injected NSR500 break the 200 mph (320 km/h) barrier at the German GP at Hockenheim.
• 1993: Nobuyuki Wakai (Suzuki) is killed during the practice session of the 250 cc GP in Spain.
• 1993: Three-time 500cc champion and then title holder Wayne Rainey (Yamaha) is paralyzed following a crash at Misano.
• 1994: Simon Prior, passenger of Yoshisada Kumagaya, on an LCR-ADM, is killed in a crash involving seven outfits in the Sidecar GP at Hockenheim.
• 1998: the 500 cc class switches to unleaded fuel.
• 1998: Mick Doohan wins his fifth consecutive 500cc title, all with Honda.
• 1999: Àlex Crivillé (Honda) wins the 500cc class, the first Spaniard to do so.
• 2000: Kenny Roberts Jr. (Suzuki) wins the 500cc class, he joins his father Kenny Roberts to claim the championship and thus making them the only father & son to have won the 500cc championship.
• 2001: Valentino Rossi wins his first premier class title and becomes the final two-stroke champion in the premium series.

MotoGP era

2000s

• 2002: MotoGP replaces the 500cc class; four-strokes are re-introduced and receive a displacement increase to 990cc. Two-strokes of 500cc capacity remain legal for independent teams for the transitional period.
• 2003: Ducati makes its Grand Prix debut in the new four-stroke MotoGP class.
• 2003: Daijiro Kato is killed during his home Japanese Grand Prix in the MotoGP class at Suzuka when he hits the barrier at 340R just before the final chicane and where Jules Bianchi collided with a recovery vehicle until 11 year later in Formula One.
• 2003: The last start of a two-stroke bike in MotoGP occurs at the Czech Grand Prix.
• 2004: MotoGP grid switches from four to three bikes per row while the 250cc and 125cc classes retain four bikes per row.
• 2004: Makoto Tamada earns Bridgestone their first MotoGP victory at the Brazilian GP.
• 2005: MotoGP adopts flag-to-flag rule, allowing riders to pit and switch to bikes fitted with wet-weather tyres and continue if rain begins to fall mid-race.
• 2005: Valentino Rossi wins his fifth consecutive MotoGP title.
• 2007: MotoGP engine capacity is restricted to 800cc four-strokes.
• 2007: Ducati wins the riders' championship with Casey Stoner and also the constructors' title, becoming the first European brand to have done so in the premier class in 30 years. Stoner won 10 out of 17 races in the season.
• 2008: MotoGP runs its first night race in Qatar.
• 2008: Dunlop drops out of MotoGP.
• 2009: Michelin drops out of MotoGP and Bridgestone becomes the sole tyre provider.
• 2009: Kawasaki ran a single bike as Hayate Racing Team after the factory team announced their withdrawal from the series.
• 2009: Valentino Rossi wins his seventh (and to date last) MotoGP title at the age of 30

2010s

• 2010: Moto2 replaces the 250cc class. All engines are built for Moto2 by Honda and are four-stroke 600cc (36.6 cu in) in-line four-cylinder based on the CBR600RR road bike, producing 125 bhp at 16000 rpm.
• 2010: Moto2 rider Shoya Tomizawa is killed at Misano.
• 2010: For the first time, Spain hosts four Grands Prix in a year.
• 2010: 'Rookie rule' introduced, preventing any newcomer to the MotoGP championship from riding for a factory team, unless said manufacturer lacked a satellite team
• 2010: Kawasaki announces its retirement due to negotiations with Dorna, stating that it will continue racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles as well as supporting general race-oriented consumers.
• 2011: MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli is killed at Sepang.
• 2011: Suzuki suspend their MotoGP participation at the end of the season.
• 2012: The new Moto3 250cc (15.2 cu in) four-stroke single-cylinder class replaces the 125cc two-stroke class.
• 2012: MotoGP raises the maximum engine capacity to 1,000cc (61 cu in) and introduces claiming rule teams.
• 2012: Aprilia rejoins the MotoGP class as a claiming rule team (CRT).
• 2012: After ending a five-year Honda title drought the previous season, two-time world champion Casey Stoner retires from the sport at the age of 27, being replaced by teenager Marc Márquez at the team.
• 2013: Knockout qualifying format is introduced.
• 2013: The 'rookie rule' introduced for the 2010 season is rescinded.
• 2013: Marc Márquez becomes the first rookie to win the championship in the MotoGP era, and the youngest ever premier class world champion.
• 2014: Removal of the claiming rule teams and introduction of the Open Class category. Marc Márquez dominates the season by winning the first 10 races of the season.
• 2015: Suzuki returns to MotoGP as a constructor after a four-year hiatus.
• 2015: Aprilia returns with a full factory team, run by Gresini Racing.
• 2015: Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo comes from seven points adrift to defeat team colleague Valentino Rossi to win his third and final MotoGP title by five points. This was after Rossi received a heavy grid penalty for the final round after having been adjudged to taking Marc Márquez out at the penultimate round.
• 2016: Michelin returns as tyre supplier after Bridgestone's withdrawal.
• 2016: Luis Salom dies during Moto2 practice at the Catalan Grand Prix after a high-speed impact with his own stricken bike.
• 2017: KTM joins the premier class with a factory-supported team for the first time.
• 2018: For the first time in MotoGP, certain satellite teams like Pramac Ducati and LCR Honda gain access to up-to-date factory bikes.
• 2019: Triumph Motorcycles replace Honda as sole Moto2 engine supplier. The new engines are 765cc (46.7 cu in) triples based on the Street Triple RS 765.
• 2019: Both Moto2 and Moto3 adopt the qualifying format used by MotoGP.
• 2019: The MotoE class is introduced using electric motorcycles.
• 2019: A new penalty named the "Long Lap" penalty is introduced for riders exceeding track limits during races and is also used as a penalty for moderate reckless riding.
• 2019: Marc Márquez wins his sixth MotoGP title at the age of 26, becoming the youngest rider and the first non-Italian rider to do so.
• 2019: Seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi becomes the first rider to contest his 400th Grand Prix at the age of 40.

2020s

• 2020: The first half of the season is postponed or cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2020: Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira become the first riders to win a premier class Grand Prix for their respective nations; South Africa and Portugal. They also achieved the first wins for KTM and Tech3 in the MotoGP class.

Event format

The starting grid is composed of three columns (four for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes) and contains approximately 20 riders. Grid positions are decided in descending order of qualifying speed, with the fastest on the pole or first position. Races last approximately 45 minutes, each race is a sprint from start to finish without pitting for fuel or tires.

In 2005, a flag-to-flag rule for MotoGP was introduced. Previously, if a race started dry and rain fell, officials could red-flag (stop) the race and either restart or resume on 'wet' tyres. Now, when rain falls, a white flag is shown, indicating that riders can pit to swap the motorcycle on which they started the race for an identical one, as long as the tyres are different (that is, intermediates or wets instead of slicks). Besides different tyres, the wet-weather bikes have steel brake rotors and different brake pads instead of the carbon discs and pads used on the 'dry' bikes. This is because the carbon brakes need to be very hot to function properly, and the water cools them too much. The suspension is also 'softened' up somewhat for the wet weather.

When a rider crashes, track marshals up the track from the incident wave yellow flags, prohibiting overtaking in that area; one corner farther up the track, a stationary yellow flag is shown. If a fallen rider cannot be evacuated safely from the track, the race is red-flagged. Motorcycle crashes are usually one of two types: lowside, when the bike loses either front or rear tire grip and slides out on the "low" side, and the more dangerous high side, when the tires do not completely slide out, but instead grip the track surface, flipping the bike over to the "high side", usually catapulting the rider over the top. Increased use of traction control has made high sides much less frequent.

Current points system

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Points	25	20	16	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

Champions

The Riders' World Championship is awarded to the most successful rider over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results.

Giacomo Agostini is the most successful champion in Grand Prix history, with 15 titles to his name (8 in the 500 cc class and 7 in the 350 cc class). The most dominant rider of all time was Mike Hailwood, winning 10 out of 12 (83%) races, in the 250 cc class, in the 1966 season. Mick Doohan, who won 12 out of 15 (80%) of the 500 cc races in the 1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season also deserves an honourable mention. Valentino Rossi is the most successful contemporary rider, having won nine titles including six MotoGP titles, and one each at 500 cc, 250 cc and 125 cc levels. The current champion is Spanish rider Marc Márquez (6x MotoGP  1x Moto2; 1x 125 cc): 8 titles.

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