MotoGP before cost cap: Budget cap to be introduced

– Carlos Ezpeleta is driving the discussion about a budget cap in MotoGP forward. The sporting director of the Motorcycle World Championship is convinced that manufacturers could significantly reduce their expenses and sees a cost cap as an important step for the future of the series.

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Formula 1 serves as a role model here. In 2021, a budget cap was introduced for the first time to curb the sharply rising expenses of the teams. At the start, the limit was set at 145 million US dollars (125.65 million euros), and it has since been raised to 215 million dollars (186.32 million euros).

The measure fundamentally changed the economic situation of Formula 1. Before the introduction of the limit, financially strong teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull sometimes invested more than 300 million euros per year.

With the cap, teams and especially manufacturers increasingly gained financial leeway. Formula 1 also became more attractive to new brands as a result.

MotoGP wants to follow Formula 1’s example

A similar model could now become a reality in MotoGP. Ezpeleta makes it clear that the organization explicitly aims for such a regulation.

“From the organization’s side, we absolutely want to introduce a budget cap, and we have made it very clear to the manufacturers that this is our goal. It is important to bring a certain level of reason to the way we approach our matters,” explains the Spaniard in an interview with Autosport, a sister platform of Motorsport-Total.com in the Motorsport Network.

At the same time, he is aware that implementation would be significantly more complicated than in Formula 1. Because the MotoGP manufacturers are closely linked to their factories and have very different structures and conditions.

Despite the challenge, he is optimistic: “This is something we need to examine closely. Where there is a will, there is a way. I am sure we will manage it.”

Ezpeleta explains that the reason there has been no comparable cap so far is due to the previous development of MotoGP. “We have never had a budget cap in MotoGP because there was never a need for one,” says the sporting director.

Less money does not mean less success

A crucial difference to Formula 1, according to Ezpeleta, is that MotoGP currently does not have a sporting problem due to too large financial differences. This is particularly evident in the example of Aprilia and Honda.

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Photo gallery: The motorcycles and teams of the 2026 MotoGP season

Honda invests around 80 million euros per year in its MotoGP program. In direct comparison, Aprilia comes to about 20 million euros, only about a quarter of Honda’s budget. On the track, however, the balance of power is reversed.

Aprilia currently leads the championship. Three riders from the brand are at the top of the overall standings, and Aprilia is also at the top of the manufacturers’ standings.

Honda, on the other hand, is significantly further back. Luca Marini is the best Honda rider, only tenth, while Honda is in second to last place in the manufacturers’ standings. Only Yamaha is behind. The Japanese manufacturer is said to have the second-largest budget in MotoGP with around 60 million euros.

For Ezpeleta, this connection is important when it comes to introducing a budget cap. “There is one point I consider very important: We have no problem on the racetrack. We currently see that some manufacturers with lower budgets outperform the others,” he emphasizes.

A cap is therefore not primarily intended to correct a sporting imbalance but to make the economic development of the championship more reasonable in the long term.

New framework contract until 2031 already decided

Alongside the discussion about a possible budget cap, Ezpeleta held talks with manufacturers and teams last year. During these, the new commercial framework was established, which governs the cooperation between manufacturers, teams, and the promoter over the next five years.

In the course of these negotiations, the manufacturers, led by Aprilia and Ducati, also brought forward concrete proposals to reduce costs. One of these proposed that each rider should only be allowed to use one of the two previously available motorcycles during test rides in the future. This was intended to reduce costs. However, this proposal is now off the table.

Regardless, Ezpeleta still considers stronger cost control sensible. “We have a chance ahead of us. I think some manufacturers have considerable leeway to reduce their budgets,” confirms the MotoGP sporting director.

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