Editing Grand Prix motorcycle racing (section)

==History==

An FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was first organized by the [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme]] in 1949. The commercial rights are now owned by [[Dorna Sports]], with the FIM remaining as the sport sanctioning body. Teams are represented by the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) and manufacturers by the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA). Rules and changes to regulations are decided between the four entities, with Dorna casting a tie-breaking vote. In cases of technical modifications, the MSMA can unilaterally enact or veto changes by unanimous vote among its members.<ref name="organization">{{cite news|last=Noyes |first=Dennis |title=MOTOGP: Dorna CEO Advocates Limits on Electronics in MotoGP |publisher=SPEEDTV.com |date=2007-12-21 |url=http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp_dorna_ceo_advocates_limits_on_electronics_in_motogp/P2/ |access-date=2008-03-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506131015/http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp_dorna_ceo_advocates_limits_on_electronics_in_motogp/P2/ |archive-date=2008-05-06 }}</ref> These four entities compose the Grand Prix Commission.

There have traditionally been several races at each event for various classes of motorcycles, based on [[Engine displacement|engine size]], and one class for [[sidecar]]s. Classes for [[50 cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing|50cc]], 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, and 750cc solo machines have existed at some time, and 350cc and 500cc sidecars. Up through the 1950s and most of the 1960s, [[four-stroke]] engines dominated all classes. In the 1960s, due to advances in engine design and technology, [[two-stroke]] engines began to take root in the smaller classes.

In 1969, the FIM—citing high development costs for [[Works team|non-works teams]] due to rules which allowed a multiplicity of cylinders (meaning smaller pistons, producing higher revs) and a multiplicity of gears (giving narrower power bands, affording higher states of tune)—brought in new rules restricting all classes to six gears and most to two cylinders (four cylinders in the case of the 350cc and 500cc classes). This led to a mass walk-out of the sport by the previously highly successful [[Honda]], [[Suzuki]] and [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]] manufacturer teams, skewing the results tables for the next several years, with [[MV Agusta]] effectively the only works team left in the sport until [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]] (1973) and [[Suzuki]] (1974) returned with new two-stroke designs. By this time, two-strokes completely eclipsed the four-strokes in all classes. In 1979, [[Honda]], on its return to GP racing, made an attempt to return the four-stroke to the top class with the [[NR500]], but this project failed, and, in 1983, even Honda was winning with a two-stroke 500.

Previously, the championship featured a 50cc class from 1962 to 1983, later changed to an 80cc class from 1984 to 1989. The class was dropped for the 1990 season, after being dominated primarily by Spanish and Italian makes. It also featured a 350cc class from 1949 to 1982, and a 750cc class from 1977 to 1979. Sidecars were dropped from world championship events in the 1990s (see [[Sidecar World Championship]]).

[[File:2006YamahaYZR-M1-001.jpg|thumb|Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike (2006)]]
From the mid-1970s through to 2001, the top class of GP racing allowed 500cc displacement with a maximum of four cylinders, regardless of whether the engine was a [[two-stroke cycle|two-stroke]] or [[four-stroke cycle|four-stroke]]. This is unlike [[TT Formula]] or [[motocross]], where two and four strokes had different engine size limits in the same class to provide similar performance. Consequently, all machines were two-strokes, since they produce power with every rotation of the crank, whereas four-stroke engines produce power only every second rotation. Some two- and three-cylinder two-stroke 500s were seen, but though they had a minimum-weight advantage under the rules, typically attained higher corner speed and could qualify well, they lacked the power of the [[Internal combustion engine|four-cylinder]] machines.

In 2002, rule changes were introduced to facilitate the phasing out of the 500cc two-strokes. The premier class was rebranded MotoGP, as manufacturers were to choose between running two-stroke engines up to 500cc or four-strokes up to 990cc or less. Manufacturers were also permitted to employ their choice of [[engine configuration]]. Despite the increased costs of the new four-stroke engines, they were soon able to dominate their two-stroke rivals. As a result, by 2003 no two-stroke machines remained in the MotoGP field. The 125cc and 250cc classes still consisted exclusively of two-stroke machines.

In 2007, the MotoGP class had its maximum engine displacement capacity reduced to 800cc for a minimum of five years. In 2009, during the [[Great Recession]], in an effort to cut costs, MotoGP underwent changes including reducing Friday practice sessions and testing sessions, extending the lifespan of engines, switching to a single tyre manufacturer, and banning qualifying tyres, active suspension, launch control and ceramic composite brakes.<ref>{{cite news |title=FIM announce changes to 2009 regulations |publisher=MotoGP.com |date=2009-02-18 |url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2009/FIM+announce+changes+to+2009+regulations+0 |access-date=2009-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908150013/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2009/FIM+announce+changes+to+2009+regulations+0 |archive-date=2012-09-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For the 2010 season, carbon brake discs were banned.

For the 2012 season, the MotoGP engine capacity was increased again to 1,000cc.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/8409225.stm|title=MotoGP increases engine size to 1,000cc in 2012|date=10 January 2010|work=[[BBC Sport]]|archive-date=11 June 2022|access-date=10 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611160715/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/8409225.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> It also saw the introduction of Claiming Rule Teams (CRT), which were given more engines per season and larger fuel tanks than factory teams, but were subject to a factory team buying ("claiming") their rival's powertrain for a fixed price.<ref>{{cite news|title=Corrado Cecchinelli talks CRT regulations|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=[[Dorna Sports]]|date=3 May 2011|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/Cecchinelli+on+2012+CRTs|access-date=9 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627114515/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/Cecchinelli+on+2012+CRTs|archive-date=27 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The sport's governing body received applications from sixteen new teams looking to join the MotoGP class.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91038|first=Matt|last=Beer|work=[[Autosport]]|publisher=[[Haymarket Media Group|Haymarket Publications]]|date=1 May 2011|access-date=22 June 2011|title=New teams lining up for MotoGP 2012|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190312/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91038|url-status=live}}</ref> For the 2014 season, the CRT subclass was rebranded Open, as the claiming rule was removed. Also, all entries adopted a standard engine control unit, with factory teams being allowed to run any software, and Open entries using a standard software. For the 2016 season, the Open subclass was dropped, and factory entries switched to a standard engine control unit software.

In 2010, the 250cc two-stroke class was replaced by the new Moto2 600cc four-stroke class.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-27 |title=Moto2 Background Information |url=http://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/moto2-background-information |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=Honda Newsroom |language=en}}</ref> In 2012, the 125cc two-stroke class was replaced by the Moto3 250cc four-stroke class with a weight limit of 65&nbsp;kg with fuel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honda unveils new Moto3 bike |url=https://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/2011/february/feb2111-honda-unveils-new-moto3-bike-/ |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=www.motorcyclenews.com |language=en}}</ref> For the 2019 season Moto2 introduced the 3-cylinder, 765cc Triumph production engine, while Moto3 and MotoGP still use prototype engines.