The concession system with groups, revised for the 2024 MotoGP season, has proven successful, according to Carlos Ezpeleta – the only change will be when the regulations change
In the past, manufacturers in the MotoGP World Championship could lose the very concessions in the regulations that they had earned if they achieved a strong race result, such as a victory. Today, things are different.
For the 2024 MotoGP season, the concession system has been fundamentally revised. Since then, there have been four groups (A to D) to which manufacturers are assigned based on their overall performance from the previous year.
The deciding factor for which group a manufacturer is assigned to is the percentage of world championship points that this manufacturer has earned in the entire season compared to the manufacturer world champion.
Based on the MotoGP manufacturers’ standings in 2023, Ducati was assigned to Group A for the 2024 season, KTM and Aprilia to Group C, and Yamaha and Honda to Group D, with the latter group including the most extensive concessions.
Honda factory rider Luca Marini thinks that the concessions in Group D are “negligible” except for one. However, according to sports director Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna is not planning to make any adjustments to the concession system for at least the next two years.
Although it is “of course still very early to draw any conclusions” after just under a year, the son of Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta makes one thing clear: “On paper, the new concession system makes much more sense because it is based much less on luck or on a specific individual result.”
“We see no reason to change anything. We think the system works well,” says the Dorna sports director. But one thing is also clear to him: ”As soon as there are shifts in the groups, those who benefit from it will like it. And those for whom it creates disadvantages will criticize it.”
Ducati factory rider Francesco Bagnaia had criticized the new concession system even before the first race of the 2024 season. And there was also criticism from Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna. But for Dorna, one thing is certain: the only change that will take place in the foreseeable future concerns the switch to the new technical regulations, which will come in just over two years.
“There is only one thing we will change: for 2027, all manufacturers will be assigned to the same group as a starting point,” says Carlos Ezpeleta, referring to the new MotoGP regulations from the 2027 season.
For the 2025 MotoGP season, not only will nothing change in terms of the Concession System, but the group allocation of the five manufacturers in 2025 will also be the same as in 2024.
Even before the season finale this weekend, it is clear that KTM, Aprilia, Yamaha and Honda will also finish the 2024 MotoGP manufacturers’ championship in the same percentage range as world champions Ducati in the 2023 season.
