“MotoGP is making the same mistakes that Formula 1 made 10 years ago”
Pit Beirer is the latest to criticise the aerodynamics of MotoGP and their impact on the riders, and the excitement of the races.
Riders this year have complained that overtaking is too difficult, essentially giving them a choice between overheating their tyres by following or creating a dangerous slipstream.
"I just don't understand why our great sport is now making the mistakes that were made in F1 ten years ago," Beirer is quoted by Marca.
"I don't want to complain that aerodynamics are bad for the sport.
“We just need to improve in this area and we're working on that.
“It's an issue that will stay with us for a long time because we're investing a lot of money and we can't let the excitement and the audience go back.
"I gather from my conversations with [Aprilia boss] Massimo Rivola that he also has the same concerns.
“They see this problem in the same way as we do at KTM, even though Aprilia has a very competitive bike with a very good aerodynamic package.”
Some riders blame the wings that have become standardised on the fairings of every bike.
It has left them accusing each other of potentially dangerous manoeuvres when trying to overtake.
MotoGP in 2023 has been littered with crashes and, as a result, injuries.
"F1 left that path precisely because of that," Beirer said.
Casey Stoner shared this criticism last weekend, telling The Race: “Winglets, gone. Ride height devices, gone. Anti-wheelie, gone. Traction control cut to a safety level and nothing more. Half this shit needs to go.
“There needs to be a cap on the rules that is there for 10 years, so that manufacturers can reasonably catch up to each other and not keep moving this imaginary rule system that doesn’t really seem to be there.
“Even when I was there, I remember people saying ‘oh we can change the rules to fit that’. What’s the point of a rulebook if you can change it?
“All of this stuff, it’s pushing the price up so far, and you’ve got half the bikes on the grid dictating who’s allowed to beat who. It’s not fair and it’s not the way a world championship should be.”
