GP format finalised
By TMX Archives on 1st Feb 13
The turmoil over the changes to the Motocross GP format has finally been resolved with the decision of the Permanent Bureau composed of FIM President Vito Ippolito and Youthstream president Giuseppe Luongo to open the entry for overseas GPs to 40 riders per class with three points-scoring races each weekend.
The new system will commence in Qatar on the first weekend of March. It is envisaged that the format will also be used for the GPs in Europe from 2014.
Widespread discontent amongst the privateer teams after it was announced in early December that only 20 riders from each of the MX1 and MX2 classes would be accepted for overseas GPs in 2013 led Luongo to immediately express his desire to expand the number of starters.
The Italian entrepreneur also intimated a possible amendment to the race schedule to accommodate the expanded entry and this has now been confirmed.
Qualification at overseas GPs in 2013 will follow the previous timetable and each of the MX2 and MX1 classes will then line up on race day for a 35-minute plus-two-lap moto in class, with the top 20 from each class moving into a ‘35+2' Superfinal, in which the classes will race together but be classified separately for points.
At the opening GP in Qatar the Superfinal qualifiers will be the first 18 from each of the MX1 and MX2 motos plus two more each class from a ‘20+2' combined Last Chance Qualifier.
In the fly-away events in Thailand, Brazil and Mexico this will be amended to include the first ten in the current championship standings in each class, the eight best excluding these riders from each class moto, plus the top two in each of the Last Chance Qualifiers.
To address the reservations about the inbuilt handicap at the start for the riders of MX2 machines, these 20 will have first choice of gate with the MX1 championship leader getting 21st pick.
