With the changes approved in recent weeks, Honda, Yamaha, KTM, and Aprilia might have received a boost to be more consistent in the upcoming season.
Under the new rules, Ducati is now in Rank A of the concessions system, offering them less leeway to improve a bike that has performed well in recent seasons. On the other side, for instance, KTM has the possibility to test with an additional 50 sets of tyres and do six wildcards. Throughout 2024, these rankings will be revisited based on the results.
KTM’s sporting director, Pit Beirer, spoke about this to SPEEDWEEK.com, immediately criticizing Ducati: ‘If there are already eight Ducati bikes on the grid, including three satellite teams, I don’t see why they need a ninth bike. Now they are making themselves martyrs’.
The Austrian also directed criticism at Honda, one of the manufacturers that benefits the most from the new concessions: ‘Honda won a main race this 2023 season, we didn’t. Why don’t we have the right to receive new concessions? Honda should have invested more money in bike development rather than in rider salaries’.