It has been said that the Motor Racing World Championship (MOTOGP) is the most important international motorbike racing event. It is held annually in different countries like Italy, China, Mexico and USA. Grand Prix motorcycle race is the premier category of bike road race events held on various tracks officially sanctioned by the Fétage Internationale de Motocross des Races de auto. The first MOTOGP was held in Italy in 1994 and since then there have been several editions of the championship all over the world. The races are regarded to be of high quality and attract a good audience among the general public. The main prize money in the Grand Prix Motorcycle Race is about $1 million.
The FETCC or the French Motorcycle Union controls the rules and regulation of the MOTOGP. The main points of agreement are about the definition of the classifications for bikes and the use of the ‘leagues’. The MOTOGP uses the official rule book of the FETCC but it is up to the teams to apply their own interpretations of the rules. The top teams in the championship are allowed to use their own specifications of track and equipment.
The MOTOGP uses two classes of motorcycle riders and their suits. There are two classes according to the size of the body and the height of the rider, the other is based on the number of brakes and the amount of wind resistance. The minimum age for the race is twenty-one years and the minimum weight is two hundred and fifty kilograms, both are required to wear one-piece leather motorcycle leathers, similar to that used in ordinary road bikes.
The teams of each classification have three races to complete and the top four teams in the championship earn a place. Each race has its own time record along with lap times and average speed. The lap time recorded is compared with the times recorded for every other driver. At the end of a race the team with the best average speed wins and if a team wins more than one race it takes one of the next runners up to finish in first place.
The minimum age to start riding is fifteen years and the minimum age to participate in the championship is twenty-one years. Of course, there is the extra bit of complication. Only six teams can compete in the MOTGRP. Four of them must be completely sponsored by a major manufacturer and four of them have to have two full-time riders. These are the criteria that separate the six from the sixteen most eligible participants. Also, no manufacturer can be represented by more than one team.
There are free practice sessions before each race which allow each team to get some valuable racing time. Each team is also allowed to bring two bikes and each one can have one driver. This means that each team has exactly thirteen bikes. These are also restricted to being two models. The top two positions go to the riders who finished in the top twenty last year and this is done based on points. Each team is then given a lap of the track and the bike ridden by the winner is declared the winner.