MotoGP 'Absolutely Want' F1-Style Budget Cap, Says Ezpeleta

Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP's sporting director, has made it clear that the series is determined to introduce a budget cap, following the model that has transformed Formula 1. He believes such a move is crucial for the championship's long-term health and appeal to manufacturers.

The explosion in popularity F1 has experienced over the past five years is often described as a unique phenomenon in sport. A key factor behind F1's attractiveness to manufacturers is its profitability, which cannot be explained without the budget cap introduced in 2021. The cap, initially set at $145 million, will rise to $215 million under the 2026 regulations.

Before the cap, well-funded teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull were spending over i300 million a year. Its implementation almost automatically allowed teams and manufacturers to generate surpluses, turning the championship into a perfect showcase for newcomers such as Audi and Cadillac.

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With that precedent in mind, MotoGP's senior management, including Ezpeleta, is determined to pursue the same strategy. "From the organisation's side, we absolutely want to pursue a budget cap, and we've been very clear with the manufacturers about that. It is important to bring a degree of rationality to the way we do things," he told Autosport.

Ezpeleta acknowledged the complexity involved. "It is going to be very difficult to get there. It is also very ambitious because the manufacturers are extremely connected to their factories, and all of them have different realities, different origins and different organisational structures. It is something we have to study, but where there is a will, there is a way. I am sure we will get there. We have never had a budget cap in MotoGP because there has never been a need for one," he added.

The contrasting realities of Honda and Aprilia – the biggest and smallest spenders, respectively – are stark. Honda spends around i80 million on its MotoGP activities, while Aprilia's budget is roughly a quarter of that, at i20 million. Yet it is Aprilia that leads the championship standings, with three riders at the front, while Honda's best representative, Luca Marini, sits in 10th.

For Ezpeleta, this highlights a key difference from F1. "There is one caveat that I think is very important: we don't have a problem on track. We are seeing now that some of the manufacturers with lower budgets are outperforming the rest," he stressed. During recent negotiations, a proposal to cut costs by removing one bike per rider in testing was effectively dismissed. Ezpeleta concluded: "We have an opportunity in front of us. I think some of the manufacturers have significant room to reduce their budget."