CFMOTO

OPINION: Does MotoGP Really Need More Than Five Factories?

By David Emmett |

It is almost a ritual at this point. Every few months, a news story or rumor will pop up suggesting that a major motorcycle manufacturer is considering joining MotoGP. Usually after a senior executive has given a wide-ranging interview on a host of subjects relating to their brands, and at the end is asked, "oh, what about MotoGP?" and doesn't immediately reject the idea out of hand.

Earlier this year, it was BMW which was going to enter MotoGP. That theory grew off the back of two pieces of news. Firstly, an interview with the new CEO of BMW Motorrad, Markus Flasch, in which he was asked about MotoGP, and said that he would not rule it out. And secondly, the news that BMW had bought Suzuki's MotoGP data.

The latest set of rumors (as I referred to last week) refer to an interview given by Suzuki Motor CEO Toshihiro Suzuki about their position in the market and range of models. Suzuki-san was asked if there were any plans to enter MotoGP, and responded that though they were proud of having won the MotoGP title in 2020, "it doesn't make much sense if we don't have a complete and varied range of models to offer all motorcyclists. And I don't think we are in this situation at the moment."

Feed the beast

That hasn't stopped the MotoGP media from launching a barrage of stories stating that Suzuki is considering a return to premier class racing. The explanation is fairly simple. It is December, and very little is happening in the world of motorcycle racing. But the insatiable hunger for content must be filled (and for websites which rely on internet advertising income, the existential need for clicks and ad impressions), and so yarns get spun out to seem as large and significant as possible.

Post Aragon MotoGP News Round Up: Hungary, Alonso, Bautista In; Portimão, Zeelenberg, Baumgärtel Out,

By David Emmett |

The fact that the races at the Motorland Aragon circuit were so eventful rather overshadowed the fact that a lot of news emerged during the weekend. In part perhaps because of the way it sorted of leaked out rather than being announced. So here's a quick rundown of some of the things we learned.

Calendar shake up

For the past decade or so, the MotoGP calendar has looked pretty predictable. Circuits may come and go, but the shape of the calendar has looked largely unchanged.

That looks set to change in 2025. Apart from starting in Buriram, Thailand, instead of Qatar, there races entering the calendar and established races being moved around. Last Wednesday we learned that Brno is set to be added to the schedule, though a date for the race is yet to be announced. In previous years, Brno has been back to back with the Austrian round at the Red Bull Ring, but talk around the paddock has it that this will not be the case in 2025.

Post-Summer Break MotoGP Link Dump: The Moto2 To MotoGP Pipeline, A Miller Switch, And KTM's Future

By David Emmett |

The summer break is over, such as it was, and MotoGP is heading to Silverstone to resume combat. And that means we are likely to see a few more announcements made over the next few days, and likely more to follow in the run up to Austria. So here is a round up of links to things to get you back up to speed with MotoGP's silly season, and who is likely to end up where.

Not that Moto2 rider

More Than Just a PR Stunt - Interview with CFMOTO’s Director of Racing Development

By Li Lin |

At CFMOTO’s marketing event CFMOTO Day - Racing Man, I interviewed CFMOTO’s Director of Racing Development Mr. SU Zhen (苏臻) who has been part of CFMOTO’s World Championship effort since its genesis. Let’s see how CFMOTO got involved in the World Championship and their future plans.

Q: CFMOTO entered Moto3 in the 2022 season. When was the decision made within the company? How was the racing department put together?

SZ: Our CEO Mr. LAI Minjie (赖民杰) has had the dream of entering the World Championship forever. You saw that Mini with a ‘Moto3’ license plate at Zhejiang Karting Track during CFMOTO Talent Trophy. He got that plate way before we had a team. He wants a Chinese brand on the World Championship grid. Initially, my boss Ms LIU Xiaofang (刘晓芳) was working on the prep work alone. I was a member of the PR department at the time, which was also overseen by Ms. Liu. I’ve always loved motorsport. I’ve also studied in Italy. It was relatively easy for me to fit in into a paddock filled with Spaniards and Italians. So Ms. Liu invited me to the project. Actually, until about halfway through the 2022 season, it was only Ms. Liu and me on the project. Then gradually we invited more colleagues within CFMOTO who were passionate about motorsport to join us. We also hired external experts, for example, ex-racers to help us test the bike and help with R&D.

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