850 cm³ engines, no ride height device and less freedom in the area of aerodynamics: this is more or less the rulebook for the 2027 MotoGP season, if the rumors from the paddock are true. The “new” MotoGP could represent a good time for manufacturers interested in getting on board.
BMW is a potential new MotoGP manufacturer. Has the Munich company already expressed any wishes regarding the design of the new regulation? “No,” clarifies BMW Motorsport director Marc Bongers in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, adding: “It’s not even possible.” According to Bongers, the statute of the MSMA builders’ association prevents builders who are not actively represented from exercising influence.
Because BMW does not (yet) have the right to vote in the manufacturers’ association
“In the past, some builders have had a say in a new set of regulations and then backed out,” Bongers says, explaining why even builders interested in joining have no say. “You can participate in the MSMA rounds if you make a public declaration of intent. You can be present, but in this case you do not have the right to vote. Only if you actively participate in the series do you get the right to vote,” explains the Dutch.
Since the 2019 season, BMW has been back in the Superbike World Championship on the factory side and this year is one of the contenders for the title thanks to the hiring of Toprak Razgatlioglu and some structural changes to the project. BMW Motorcycle CEO Markus Flasch has made it clear to the media that MotoGP is a problem and that the new format starting in 2027 is a good time to get involved (according to statements from the new BMW Motorcycle CEO).
In recent years, the gap between MotoGP prototypes and superbikes has widened. New technologies, such as ride height devices or ground effect fairings, are responsible for this phenomenon.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
Photo credit: BMW AG
BMW is unable to express specific wishes
BMW has no experience in this area. It was therefore difficult to make specific requests to the MotoGP managers. “To be honest, we don’t have any input at the moment because we don’t participate. Only in the area of marketing could we make wishes. But when it comes to technology, you have to know the topic well to be able to judge it correctly,” explains Bongers.
In MotoGP, BMW can look back on many years of collaboration with rights holder Dorna, as the safety car fleet has been made up of BMW vehicles for many years. “We have a great relationship with this paddock, including Dorna,” notes Bongers, and looks forward to the challenges the manufacturers will face in the premier class.
“It’s a motorsport at the highest prototypical level. Every regulation poses challenges to manufacturers. But we wouldn’t say we wouldn’t participate if, for example, ride height devices were banned. That’s not the case,” clarifies Bongers.
Why the new MotoGP regulations are so important
According to Bongers, the main objective is to technically improve MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship in order to lower the speeds. “It’s a fact that many circuits are no longer designed for the speeds that are reached. I’m not just talking about top speed, but also about cornering speed,” explains the BMW manager.
“This is the main reason for the new regulations. The goal is to make the motorcycles slower. It makes sense to reduce the displacement and, in all likelihood, eliminate the height devices,” says Bongers.
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