Questions and Answers with Vito Ippolito the FIM President. Ippolito talks about the economic challenges that have hit Motorcycle Racing recently, and the need for more bikes on the grid for MotoGP.

Q. What conclusions can you draw after eight months of the 2009 season?

A. We were ready to go through 2009 with the world economic crisis in the background. During the last eight months we have been working in a close collaboration with all our promoters, manufacturers, sponsors, riders and all the participants in our sport as a whole. We are well aware of what is going on in each discipline in order to put in place some valid solutions which can ensure the permanence of the championships. We are also trying to establish the guidelines to follow for the next ten years. We still have a lot of work to do before the end of the season but globally participation in terms of spectators and media coverage is very satisfactory.

Q. Can you give some details about the situation in the Road Racing World Championships?

A. Two important decisions have been taken since the beginning of the year. The first one aims at reducing the costs in the MotoGP class. We had to modify some parts of the sporting and technical rules in agreement with the manufacturers and the teams. We hope to be able to increase the number of riders in MotoGP as of 2011, while respecting the prototype concept of this championship. We should thus be able to introduce 3 or 4 additional riders on the starting grid of this class.

The second important decision regards the future of the 250cc class. Because of the withdrawal of most manufacturers and the disappearance of this class from national championships, the costs of participation have greatly increased. We had thus to create a new class – which will be called Moto2 – in order to replace it. Although this period is economically tough, manufacturers have agreed to invest in new projects. The unique engine for Moto2 seems to us to be the best solution for significantly reducing the costs.

Concerning the FIM Superbike World Championship, it is necessary to reduce the costs for the teams as private sponsors might be less numerous and the manufacturers might be forced to reduce their investments. Consequently the number of riders and teams taking part in the championship might also be reduced next year; we must continue our work and take quick decisions.

Regarding the FIM Endurance Championship, for which the FIM itself is the promoter, we worked hard to improve this championship in a general way, its media coverage and the quality of the teams entered. Here again we have to continue in the same way and find how to reduce travel costs for teams travelling outside Europe.

Q. Together with environmental actions that the FIM has undertaken in recent years, the creation of a FIM Championship for electric motorcycles was recently announced for the 2010 season. Can you tell us more about this?

A. Indeed, the FIM as a federal organ of motorcycle sport must take into account current environmental problems. This is why, in the framework of our agreement with the United Nations Environmental Programme we put in place every year initiatives aiming at making the motorcycle world aware and reminding us of our duties towards our planet. With the same goal and in order to promote new energies, the FIM has decided to create a FIM Championship for electric motorcycles that will be managed by the Road Racing Commission (CCR). The events will be held together with some rounds of the FIM Endurance World Championship as of 2010. It was following the TTXGP event, supported by the FIM and organized on the Isle of Man in June 2009, that this project was born.

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