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Pass the Popcorn
The big difference between current MotoGP and WSB racing is that MotoGP racing is limited to 800cc bikes, while World Superbike runs literbikes. The reason for the MotoGP switch to 800cc bikes was that the literbikes were just too powerful and dangerous…or some such nonsense…for MotoGP racing.
Well, a few weeks ago, Dorna MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta said on Spanish TV that he wants MotoGP to return to literbikes for the 2012 season. Which means essentially that MotoGP and WSB would more or less be conducting the same races.
Well, this put WSB boss Paolo Flammini’s panties in a wad. he doesn’t like the idea one bit, and he’s said so to the Italian motorcycling news web site GPOne.com (in Italian). He also says,
I repeat what I said earlier: we have had assurances from the FIM President Vito Ippolito that this regulation would not be approved…We are ready to take whatever action is necessary to defend the contract we have with the FIM, which, let us not forget, also covers the 600cc class based on production bikes.
So, Ezpeleta says he wants literbikes, and Flammini says he can’t have them.
I expect someone is going to be deeply disappointed, but only after some hideously interminable court proceedings in Barcelona, Rome, and/or Brussels.