CEO of Dorna Sports S.L, Carmelo Ezpeleta, was present at Wrooom 2012 this week in Madonna de Campiglio where he spoke about future MotoGP™ class regulations.

The MotoGP grid has an enrollment of 21 bikes for 2012, including twelve factory bikes and nine members of the new CRT category. Regarding this mix, Ezpelata stated: “We must immediately do two things: The first is to keep the grid is as compact as possible. This is not to say that there will be no differences, but to make sure that the CRT bikes are as close as possible to the factory bikes. Second, that factory bikes don’t technologically advance to performance levels that could be dangerous, with costs that can’t be assumed. For the problem is not just how to reduce costs, it’s that if someone invests a significant amount, wins the Championship and then leaves, it leaves you with nothing.”

In this regard, Ezpeleta says that communication is ongoing with manufacturers. “We have three manufacturers – Ducati, Yamaha and Honda. I’m talking with them and I have ideas for making the championship more competitive. The basics of motorsport are the combination of entertainment and technology. In times of crisis, if we cut back on something, it must be in technology, not the entertainment, which both television and circuits pay for. Again, I’m talking to the manufacturers and I think we will come to a conclusion in May as to how the championship will look from 2013.”

The CEO of Dorna is positive he can convince the manufacturers of the advantages these changes will bring: “Manufacturers are aware of the situation, not least because the crisis is affecting them too,” he said. “The problem is that, for them, the priority has always been the technological development. And this development has made the cost of the bikes too high, which until now have been offered on lease. On the other hand, this technology that has made the motorcycles running up front lightning-fast has also created an issue with competition, because they are so superior.”

“I think we will be able to resolve these issues by consensus,” he continued. “If not, we have ideas, such as the introduction of a spec ECU or a rev limit, which could be launched as early as 2013, a year in which the Championship will be completely different compared to 2012.”

“The establishment of the single unit, according to the manufacturers, would be the biggest limiter to continued technological development. We are looking at what the best way of limiting the performance—and thereby costs—will be, to ensure that a satellite team will be able to obtain bikes at a maximum of one million Euros per season, whether through selling, through a long term leasing commitment, or through CRTs, although this cost seems excessive to me for a CRT.”

Source: motogp.com

The story of just what it takes to produce the international MotoGP TV feed

Many thanks to Sergi Sendra and Dorna Sports for their co-operation.

It’s not hard to imagine that producing the international TV feed for a sport such as MotoGP must be a pretty immense task. But it’s not until someone like the Director of Dorna Sports TV Production Department, Sergi Sendra, takes you through the detail of what’s involved that it really sinks in just how complex and massive an enterprise it really is.

Sergi is a hugely affable and approachable person – even in the midst of hectic preparations for the final round of the 2010 season at Valencia – which is when we get to meet him. The logistics of keeping what is essentially an enormous event-based mobile TV studio and broadcast centre going like clockwork as it follows the MotoGP circus across the entire globe are pretty mind-blowing and it’s impressive hearing the story of how it’s all done unfold in front of you.

For several years now the whole production of the MotoGP international TV feed has been a genuinely global exercise, with a permanent crew of around 120 plus all the production gear and facilities that come with them being moved around the world in order to provide the ultimate in quality and consistency in TV production for the sport.

“The amount of people we have on the TV production – on making the international TV feed – and this does not include broadcasters who personalise the product such as the BBC or Spanish TV – is about 120 people.” Says Sergi. “This includes directors, technical staff, cameramen, journalists… all kinds of people whose work goes into generating the content and producing the feed.
It’s Dorna that makes this production, and it does it all over the world. Although it started in 92, over the last 6 or 7 years we have come to produce this worldwide. It means that these 120 people will be in Malaysia, in Aragon, in Valencia and so-on. This is a very important concept, because it means we are moving the same team and that same team is working and developing and thinking and analysing problems grand prix by grand prix. This is crucial because you keep learning from your mistakes and your experiences and at each grand prix we learn from new experiences.”

During the season the set-up and dismantling of the whole production infrastructure becomes very much an ongoing task, especially when races run back to back and the whole operation runs on a cycle of 7 days… Monday heralds the arrival of all the gear, Tuesday and Wednesday are used for setting up, with Thursday being the pre-event testing day to make sure all is well. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are spent covering the event itself – plus of course making any necessary changes and adjustments throughout – and then Sunday night is used to take everything down again and move it on to the next venue.

And although each venue is of course unique, there is nonetheless a general consistency of approach and scale to all of the race set-ups and the variety and quantity of cameras and technology involved.
Sergi explains; “The way we produce is based on two OB vans (outside broadcast). One OB van called ‘Track Feed’ takes care of part of the production and then the final signal goes into the second OB van called ‘International Feed’.
We work with a varying number of cameras depending on the circuit – here at Valencia it is just over 100 as it is a small circuit, around 4 kilometres – we go from between 3 up to almost 6 – and we generally work with an average of around 20 cameras ‘on the track’. At Indianapolis or in Japan we have 22 basically because of the length of the circuit.
Another important consideration here is this… Take a football match for instance. You could use many, many cameras but really you only actually need 3 cameras to produce a football match. You could do that and the viewers would still be able to follow it and to understand what is going on – you are covering a limited area and ultimately a single subject – the ball. Here however, you could fit perhaps 50 football fields onto the area of this circuit, and of course we need to cover the whole area and many bikes and riders.
Much of this we do wirelessly. We have been working since 2002/2003 with a British company called Gigawave. We work closely together on developing wireless systems that enable us to cover all this kind of an area with cameras (including on the bikes themselves), and it is also good for them (Gigawave) as the range of circuits, environments, weather conditions and so-on that MotoGP provides through the year gives them a real live laboratory for testing and developing their products.”

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the wireless technology that’s being employed is that of equipping each bike with its own onboard camera system.
As Sergi points out; “It’s important to remember when considering these onboard wireless camera systems the size of the object being covered – a bike – is relatively small compared to, say, a Formula One car or a DTM car. A bike is probably only a quarter the size of an F1 car. Yet on each bike we have been able to develop a system which only weighs about 1.6 kilos and which has four cameras. So this system is a real challenge for us.
So with 17 bikes – 4 cameras each – we have 82 cameras, plus we also have 4 radio frequency cameras in the pit lane (as well as other pit lane cameras) – and we also have the helicopter. All of this comprises the wireless environment.
Plenty of people can film a track with 20 cameras – but not just anybody knows how to do this scale and complexity of work.
For this you need very specific knowledge and know-how, and great technicians and plenty of experience. And this, I think, is our great strength.”

That experience and know-how are perhaps almost invisible – yet also most crucially important – when it comes to setting up for a new circuit. This year we had Aragon, and Sergi’s team certainly delivered: it looked a fantastic venue, and the cameras seemed to capture and convey all the excitement from the new track. But how does he go about setting up for an entirely new venue?
“Well, let’s start with Valencia,” he says, “and the configuration of cameras we use here. It is now our tenth year here. I’d say it takes three years for us to really learn a circuit. You learn more each year and you get closer to ‘perfection’. Because of all we have learned about generally where you put cameras on a circuit, with our 20 years in the business, it was easier knowing all that to be able to set up for Aragon. But even then, after the race you find out what you have learned from many things… the weather, the grid, and so-on. And if next year it rains, then what you learned may not apply because the overtaking may be different… These things can all change.
With Aragon we did a visit to watch the Spanish Championship, which was a good test – and then we did the MotoGP weekend – 2 days of practice and the race – And we even moved some cameras around to a small extent during the weekend itself. And after the race there were four directors walking up and down and making so many notes. Next year we will probably change perhaps 25% of the set-up. In many ways this year we worked for next year. Maybe after three years the set-up will be very much settled.”

And whilst delivering on the excitement of a new or classic circuit is crucial, something that also gets the fans and commentators talking is the onboard camerawork – perhaps most specifically this season in the form of the revolutionary gyrocam, which more than any previous onboard delivers a giddyingly immersive experience for the TV viewer.
“The gyrocam came originally from an obsession perhaps around ten years ago with the lean angle of bikes.” Says Sergi. “This sport has that extra value in something special like this and we worked to develop a tool that would show the lean angle as an on-screen graphic. And it was from this tool that we were able to develop a system that became the gyrocam itself.
It’s certainly very exciting – but at the moment we are more excited about developing the high-definition (HD) version of the gryocam. At present the gyrocam is only a standard definition camera. And our goal for next year is the HD onboard camera. We are developing it from scratch with Gigawave as there is no such thing on the market. All year in fact we have been running two bikes with HD onboard in testing (*though this has not been broadcast) and the results are stunning. So next year we are aiming for delivering onboard HD.”

High Definition (HD) is becoming ever more popular throughout the world – and indeed, MotoGP is already broadcast in HD in a number of countries. However, covering up to six kilometres of track, seventeen race bikes, the pit garages and helicopter shots with HD cameras has required years of planning, preparation and development from series organiser Dorna Sports.

If you watch the sport in HD – and even if you live in the UK where it has not been available until the last two races of the 2010 season with special HD showings by the BBC – then you will have noticed that, as Sergi points out, the onboard cameras have so far remained in standard definition. That is not to say that the situation isn’t being addressed though. The latest and biggest challenge for Dorna Sports has been the development of onboard HD cameras, and together with Gigawave they are working on the extremely sophisticated technology necessary to build such units.
This development work between Dorna Sports and Gigawave has been going on for some time now, and Dorna are naturally reluctant to start showing the footage until they are happy that the quality and resilience of the output is sufficiently high that it is appropriate to broadcast.

Believe it or not, we were almost treated to it at Estoril, had fate not intervened. Sergi and his team had been preparing and testing units on various bikes across practice and qualifying, and eventually decided to set the HD onboard camera up on Ben Spies’ bike for the race. Sadly as you may recall, Ben crashed on the sighting lap, and so viewers never got to see what onboard HD race footage might look like.
But it’s on its way – and if the excitement of standard definition onboard is anything to go by, it’s going to look amazing.

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The Grand Prix Commission got together today to decide and announce several rule changes which will affect the current and following season.

The most interesting bit for this season is the official allowance of 9 engines per season for manufacturers which have not won a race in the previous two seasons.

For 2010 the manufacturer members of MSMA who did not win at least 2 dry races in 2008 + 2009 seasons can use 9 engines instead of 6.

This applies to the Rizla Suzuki factory team only which means both Alvaro and his teammate Loris Capirossi will be able to use three more engines this season.

Further announcements for this season concern the official schedule for the Grand Prix at Motorland Aragon and changes to use of tyres at official post-race tests.

For these tests of 1 day duration, each rider will be restricted in the quantity and specification of tyres that they may use at a single test event as follows:

For all practice sessions, a maximum of 8 slick tyres will be allocated, specifically:
Front slick tyres: 2 of Specification “A” + 2 of Specification “B” = 4 in total.
Rear slick tyres: 2 of Specification “A” + 2 of Specification “B” = 4 in total.
During all practice sessions, a maximum of 4 wet tyres, specifically:
Front wet tyres: 2 of the standard specification
Rear wet tyres: 2 of the standard specification

In addition each rider may use 1 set of tyres (1 front + 1 rear) retained from their allocation for the preceding event. These tyres may be new or used (NB. used tyres must still be mounted on wheels from the preceding event), and the team must inform the tyre supplier which set of tyres (1 front + 1 rear), if any, they wish to retain for the test within 2 hours of the preceding race finish.

Apart from the rule changes coming into effect this season already, the most anticipated announcement was the official confirmation of the change to 1000cc in the MotoGP class from 2012 onwards as well as the change to Moto3 in 2013.

Technical specifications for MotoGP from 2012 onwards:

Capacity: Up to 1000cc
Number of maximum cylinders: 4
Maximum bore: ø81mm
Maximum weight: 150 kg (up to 800cc) and 153 kg (over 800cc)
Maximum number of engines available for use by each rider: 6
Fuel tank capacity: 21 litres

Exception for Claiming Rule Teams (CRT’s)
Maximum number of engines available for use by each rider: 12
Fuel tank capacity: 24 litres

The selecion of the Claiming Rule Teams (CRT’s) will be by unanimous decision of the Grand Prix Commission. Modification to this exception due to performance of the teams requires the simple majority of the Grand Prix Commission.

The full announcement can be read here.

In 2010 MotoGP fans are able to enjoy an amazingly detailed experience on their iPhone and iPod Touch thanks to the new Official Live Timing Application by Soft Pauer. This new application ensures that fans will not miss a minute of the action from any of the rounds on the 2010 calendar, regardless of where they are.

Many of them have already enjoyed this new application throughout the first race weekend of the season in Qatar, when MotoGP Live Timing placed amongst the top sales in the iTunes App Store sports section for Italy, Spain, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, , Finland, UK, USA, Australia, Indonesia and Japan.

The App offers an unprecedented level of information to consumers, which can be immediately taken in with the unique dynamic/interactive track map which provides users with a clear illustration of all the gaps between riders. Users are also able to access the same live timing information and in the same format as that which is used by the teams at each Grand Prix venue to track the progress of a session or particular team or rider. Uniquely, all the data from the whole season will be retained on the user’s device to enable them to look back at and re-run the sessions whenever they want.

After the successful launch last year of the F1 Timing and Track Positioning App, iPhone and iPod Touch users can now get their hands on Soft Pauer’s brand new MotoGP 2010 Official Live Timing Application – Premium Pass, and never miss a lap of this year’s Championship.

The App is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French and German at a cost of just €14.99 for the whole season. Support and service information is constantly updated at www.twitter.com/motogptimingapp.

Soft Pauer’s Chief Executive Otmar Szafnauer said, “We’re very pleased to offer fans an added dimension to the experience of watching MotoGP. We hope that they will take advantage of this new opportunity to get a full picture of the racing action wherever they go.”

Dorna Sports Managing Director Manel Arroyo commented, “We have a duty to improve and expand MotoGP coverage through new technologies and this new application is the perfect tool for fans who don’t want to miss a moment of the MotoGP World Championship wherever they are, like those who are enjoying MotoGP at the racetrack and want to have instant information of what goes on lap by lap. We are also working with Soft Pauer so that this application is available on other platforms soon”.

The application is available from the iTunes App Store, and you can also download it now by visiting the official MotoGP website.

The Secretary of State for Spanish Tourism, Joan Mesquida, and the CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, have today announced an agreement for the promotion of Spain as a major tourism destination through the FIM MotoGP World Championship at a press conference at the Ministry for Industry, Tourism and Commerce.

The agreement, which is for three years up to and including the 2012 season, will utilise the international reach of the MotoGP. With circuits in four continents and millions of spectators across the world, the Visit Spain slogan will help to continue raising awareness of Spain as a widely known holiday destination.

In this manner, the Spanish riders competing in the three categories of the World Championship (MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc) will reinforce the brand of Spain, not just on a sporting level but also in the field of tourism. Several riders were present at the presentation, including Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team) and the MotoGP rookies Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar Team) and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki), as well as various riders who will compete in the Moto2 and 125cc classes in 2010.

As part of this agreement, the Ministry of Tourism will be the title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Japan, which will take place at the Motegi circuit on April 25th. Visit Spain will also have a presence through trackside advertising at various Grands Prix throughout the 2010 season, those being Silverstone (Great Britain) on June 20th, Sachsenring (Germany) on July 18th and at Indianapolis (USA) on August 29th.

Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta is extremely proud that Spanish Tourism has chosen MotoGP to promote Spain as a tourism destination across the globe. “For years, the three Spanish GPs, now four, have already served as an attraction to foreigners to visit Spain, and with this agreement we hope to continue to draw more people, not only to watch the races but to discover everything the country has to offer,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta.

The Secretary of State for Tourism Joan Mesquida also commented on the agreement with Dorna, which he views as an excellent global showcase for Spain. Mesquida highlighted the coverage of the MotoGP World Championship, which reaches more than 225 million households every year through the media. “This agreement allows us to offer everyone the chance to Visit Spain,” he said.

Source: motogp.com

MotoGP fans around the world will be able to view their favourite sport in the most incredible clarity in 2010, as the world’s premier motorcycle championship will broadcast in full HD for the first time. Whilst much of the track action over the last year has already been filmed by High Definition cameras, this is the first time that viewers at home will be able to experience the crisp quality of HD when watching the MotoGP race action.

HD has become a standard now for top level sports, and MotoGP is no exception. However, covering up to six kilometres of track, seventeen race bikes, the pit garages and helicopter shots with HD cameras has required years of planning and preparation from series organiser Dorna Sports.The biggest challenge has been the on board cameras, Dorna together with Gigawave are working to develop these extremely sophisticated cameras.

In 2010, RTL Club (Belgium), Eurosport (France), Sport TV (Portugal), Digisport (Hungary) and Viasat (Scandinavia) will all broadcast the MotoGP season in HD within Europe. The worldwide reach of MotoGP in HD will stretch as far as Speed TV (US), ESPN (Latin America), Globosat (Brazil), One HD (Australia), StarHub (Singapore), Sky (New Zealand), Al Jazeera (Middle East), ESPN Star Sports (Asia) and Supersport (Africa), with further HD broadcasters expected to come on board during the season.

“Working alongside the most recognised sports broadcasters worldwide and being one of the leading motorsports championships, we have a duty to stay abreast of all the emerging technologies which help us to capture the speed and adrenaline of MotoGP” said Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of Dorna.

Also, in a further exciting development, the evolution of the delivery of MotoGP in even more lifelike quality may not stop at HD. With 3D cinematography already being successfully pioneered in the world of cinema, the same technology is now poised to revolutionise sports broadcasting. Last year at the Red Bull US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca and in conjunction with the 3D and digital systems specialists Vince Pace, Dorna Sports carried out a successful trial of the latest HD 3D Fusion camera systems.

For 2010 the Pace team, led by John Bruno who was part of the Visual Effects team involved in the Academy Award winning Avatar film, plans to produce a documentary. This will feature images captured during the MotoGP season, and channels broadcasting in 3D such as ESPN and Sky have already shown interest in broadcasting such coverage of the sport.

Source: motogp.com