22 and out! MotoGP promoter aims to maintain current grid numbers, despite BMW’s possible entry

The MotoGP series, according to its promoter Dorna, needs the current numbers of 22 riders and 11 teams present on the premier class grid. Chief sporting officer Carlos Ezpeleta has commented that the places left by the Suzuki stable after its departure from the championship are no longer reserved for a new manufacturer. BMW, the biggest contender to enter MotoGP, is thus said to have the most to work with with only the possibility of buying an existing team.

• MotoGP promoter Dorna wants to lock the number of riders and teams to 22 and 11 respectively in the future
• The quality and stability of existing stables and teams is paramount for Dorna, but he is not ruling out a new manufacturer
• BMW, a possible candidate to enter MotoGP, will gain a place in the series by either buying another team or leaving another stable

A total of 22 riders and 11 teams are taking part in MotoGP’s most prestigious category this year, representing the five manufacturers Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, Yamaha and Honda.

The championship has stabilised at these numbers following the departure of Japan’s Suzuki towards the end of the 2022 season. However, as of 2019, total participation is already at the aforementioned 11 teams, the exception being the 2022 edition, in which 12 teams with 24 full-time riders competed.

In other words, the current participation in the premier class has relatively stabilized in recent years. Still, Suzuki’s exit from the championship has left two vacant spots on paper that could be filled by a new factory challenger. Realistically, however, this could only happen with the arrival of new technical regulations from the 2027 season onwards.

Among the hottest contenders for a possible entry into MotoGP is German brand BMW. It has long been speculated as a strong and competitive replacement for Suzuki as the sixth manufacturer. However, if BMW would like to enter the fray in the premier class, Dorna’s sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta says there is no option but to buy an existing team.

Ezpeleta was adamant about the current number of teams on the grid. “We agree that the vision of MotoGP is to have 11 teams and 22 drivers. Despite the departure of Suzuki, experience has shown us that we have the best conditions for this. All 22 riders represent 22 amazing stories that present us with a huge challenge to tell them in the best possible way. With 24 riders, it would be an even bigger challenge.”

BMW to MotoGP?

The son of Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta further clarified the promoter’s position on the new factory’s entry to German website Speedweek. “In the end, we see the quality of the existing 11 teams as the most important thing. Whether they are provided by five or six factories is another matter. But our priority now is the five manufacturers. That doesn’t mean that we are against the entry of a sixth manufacturer at all. But it does mean that this new factory would have to work with one of the current 11 teams.”

As well as buying an established team, there is another alternative to BMW’s entry into MotoGP, namely the departure of another manufacturer. However, the current five factories have committed to working to produce machines under the new technical rules.

This leaves BMW with no choice but to agree a deal with another team to merge with it. However, it would not happen before the 2027 season at the earliest. Apart from the extreme time and financial costs, it makes no sense to come to the championship in the middle of the technical era currently underway.

Source: MotoGP, Speedweek.com, Crash.net