KTM BACKS MOTOGP COST CAP BUT REJECTS SINGLE-BIKE RULE

KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister supports exploring an F1-style spending cap for MotoGP, but says cost-cutting must protect the racing. Speaking at the Red Bull Ring, he argued manufacturers should share responsibility for controlling expenditure rather than simply asking Liberty Media and Dorna for more money.

“I think if you do it in the right way,” a cost cap could help, Neumeister said, adding that it could give teams a more equal basis on which to compete. He pointed to Formula 1, where, in his view, the cap has helped smaller teams challenge at the front, while cautioning that it may not impose an absolute limit on spending. Any MotoGP system, he said, should be developed through discussion and agreement, not imposed unilaterally.

Neumeister suggested savings could come from areas fans would not notice. One possibility is a common supplier for the championship’s new 100% non-fossil fuel, rather than each manufacturer developing its own solution. Sustainable fuel is a costly and complicated requirement, he said, and a shared supply could let teams work from the same base while still trying to extract performance. Manufacturers could continue to display sponsorship from competing fuel brands. GPone.com has reported that the 2027 fuel could cost as much as 86 euros per litre.

That approach contrasts with a single-bike rule, which KTM opposed. The proposal, supported by some manufacturers as a way to reduce costs, was ultimately dropped after KTM’s resistance. Neumeister said he had been “completely against” it because a second bike lets a rider return to the track after a crash or mechanical problem instead of waiting for repairs, potentially missing the rest of a session or a race.

“I was really open in saying I don’t like the one bike rule,” he said. Riders must be able to “go to the limit,” run back after a crash and get on another machine, he argued. “This is part of what MotoGP really is,” he added, calling the restriction “against racing” even if it saved money.

MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta has confirmed that a budget cap is under consideration for the future. Neumeister said he was generally in favour, provided the rules are designed carefully and agreed by all parties. The aim, he said, should be to make the sport accessible to a larger audience and build enthusiasm for motorcycles and riding.

The debate comes as Aprilia, believed to have one of the smaller budgets, leads the riders’, teams’ and constructors’ standings. KTM is third in the constructors’ championship and Pedro Acosta is fourth in the riders’ standings. Neumeister’s comments also look ahead to the 850cc era beginning in 2027, when teams with greater spending power could gain an advantage.