CRT Rules for "Dummies"

The FIM has released details of the Claiming Rule Team regulations which will come into effect for the 2012 MotoGP World Championship season. MotoGP Director of Technology Corrado Cecchinelli explained the main points.


As the 2011 on-track action took place at Estoril throughout the weekend the FIM released further details regarding next season’s technical regulations, specifically relating to the ‘Claiming Rule Team’ status which will be given to certain teams in 2012.

With the new 1,000cc maximum engine capacity limit coming into effect next season, those machines which are not entered by a member of the MSMA (Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and Suzuki) must be approved for participation by the Grand Prix Commission. Teams using such motorcycles may ask the GP Commission for the ‘Claiming Rule Team’ (CRT) by December 31st of the year before the season they intend to race.

The major effects of the CRT status on teams will be engine durability and fuel tank capacity, with a permanent contracted CRT rider able to use 12 engines throughout the season as opposed to six for non-CRT riders. Bikes entered by CRT’s will also be permitted a maximum of 24 litres of fuel, as opposed to 21 litres for non-CRT’s.

CRT’s must not represent any MSMA manufacturer and will be subject to the ‘Claiming Rule’, which MotoGP Director of Technology Corrado Cecchinelli explained to motogp.com.

“From 2012 onwards in MotoGP any independent team has the chance to apply for the CRT status, and this stands for Claiming Rule Team,” began Cecchinelli. “The team thereby accepts that one of their engines can be claimed, which means it can be bought at the end of the race, by one of the MSMA members for either €20,000 with the transmission or €15,000 without.”

“If they accept these regulations they have technical advantages like more fuel – 24 litres instead of 21 – and more engines per rider per season, which will be 12 instead of six. These are big aids, and they will allow the independent teams to race with much lower budgets.”

Cecchinelli also believes the new regulations will help to boost the number of bikes in the premier class for 2012. “I think it will add to the competition in the sense that we will hopefully have more bikes on the grid. I don’t think any CRT team (which basically means the present privateer teams), will lose any chance or potential compared to what there is now.”

A maximum of four engine claims can be made against one CRT in any one racing season, and an MSMA manufacturer may not claim more than one engine per year from the same CRT.

The FIM also revealed that the GP Commission had accepted the proposal of the MSMA for testing opportunities for machines eligible under the 2012 regulations. During the 2011 season teams may test for a total of eight days with their contracted riders.