Carlos Ezpeleta explains MotoGP’s 2025 engine freeze proposal

Ahead of the new 850cc era in 2027, MotoGP has proposed freezing 1,000cc engine specification for all but the lowest concession-ranking manufacturers from the start of next season.

In other words, the engine specification used at the season-opening 2025 Thai Grand Prix on March 2 would remain in place until the final round of the 2026 campaign.

Dorna Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta explained that the move is aimed at avoiding manufacturers having to continue developing their 1,000cc engines as well as investing in the new 850cc project.

But an exception will be made for manufacturers in the lowest ‘D’ concession ranking, currently Yamaha and Honda, which will be allowed to continue modifying their 1,000 engines.

“As you know, we freeze the specification of the engine at the first GP and the engine spec has to stay [the same] for the whole year for manufacturers that don’t have concession [ranking D],” TMCBlog.com reports Ezpeleta as saying.

“This would be the same [concept], but basically extending for two seasons. So for ‘25 and ’26.”

Ezpeleta explained: “It’s a proposal that Dorna has submitted. It still hasn’t got final approval from the manufacturers. [The freeze] will be for manufacturers not in rank D of the Concessions [Ducati, KTM and Aprilia].

”We think it’s a very good strategy. It’s a good proposal to make sure that the manufacturers can focus on the new engines, the completely new bikes are being developed for 2027… We hope that it’ll be approved soon.”

MotoGP previously adopted a multi-year engine freeze for 2020 and 2021, during Covid.

Honda or Yamaha will leave concession ranking D if they have scored over 35% of the maximum constructors' points available during either of the two review 'windows' each season.

Yamaha recently confirmed that it has already started a V4 engine program, alongside its current 1,000cc Inline4 powerplant, rather than waiting for the 850cc era in 2027.