New MotoGP Rules for ECU and Factory Status for 2014

The Grand Prix Commission released new rules for the 2014 MotoGP season regarding the standard electronic control unit and what constitutes “factory status” for manufacturers.

Starting in 2014, the official MotoGP ECU including internal datalogger from Magneti Marelli will become mandatory. Factory teams will be allowed to program their own ECU software while privateers will be required to run the standard software.

The new regulations also further refine what qualifies as factory status. Up until now, the term has referred to the members of the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association (i.e. Honda, Ducati and Yamaha.) New wording of the rules allow chassis manufacturers to gain factory status. Each manufacturer, chassis or complete motorcycle-maker can enter up to four riders per season with factory status.

Race teams could conceivably construct their own chassis and lease an M1 engine from Yamaha and use their own ECU software to compete under factory status. Ducati has also been rumored to be considering leasing Desmosedici race bikes with the spec software for teams to race as non-factory entries.

The advantage for privateers is they get to use 24 liters of fuel per race and have access to 12 engines through the season. Factory teams however will be limited to 20 liters of fuel and only five engines (though new manufacturers will be allowed nine.)

[Source: FIM; Photo by GEPA Pictures]

By Dennis Chung