The aerodynamic shame of MotoGP

In 2016 Gigi Dall’Igna decided to explore aerodynamics in his MotoGP, then Honda’s leader in the GGPP, Shohei Nakamoto, warned that opening that melon was very ‘dangerous’. And this does not refer to a physical danger, but rather it will lead to MotoGP motorcycles in an endless evolution that will be accompanied by a significant increase in costs. And Nakamoto knows exactly what he is talking about, because he came to motorcycles from F1, a specialty where the development of aerodynamics is the foundation of performance. xx years later, in the training sessions taking place these days in Sepang, the warnings of that Japanese engineer have largely come true. In Malaysia, we witness a parade of aerodynamic tests that seem endless.

For example, Aprilia, which at the time designed its new motorcycle based on its aerodynamic approach, brought up to 20 different possible combinations to these tests. The head of the Aprilia MotoGP project admitted the impossibility of testing everything, as other sections such as electronics, chassis or engine also need to be fixed for the first GP to be held in a few weeks in Qatar. No time, no wheels and lots of experiments.

In KTM For their part, after their engineers analyzed their last season in depth, they understood that the field to reduce the two tenths that supposedly separated them from winning was aerodynamics. For this, the Austrians turned to any of their colleagues from the other main Austrian company linked to motor sport: Red Bull. The influence of F1 engineers was evident in the various formats they tested, featuring one that, sarcastically, looked like it had a harmonica attached to the front fender. The other brands, Ducati and Honda, did not fare well in the saga; only the Yamaha works on a more conservative line. Compared to the real ‘transformers’ that turn into other MotoGPs, the Iwata factory at the moment looks ‘old’.

Let’s see if the engineers at yamaha They will tolerate the type, because the truth is that the riders confirm that every joint that is added, removed or changed position, changes the behavior of the motorcycles. The dilemma is knowing which configuration will be most effective. And be careful, we are not talking about the one that makes the bike the fastest, but the one that is the most efficient throughout the race. Nothing new, this is the old fable of the race between the hare and the tortoise. Then there are the sensations, that factor that engineers hate because they cannot be quantified in numbers.

This Wednesday, Ducati has put a new fairing on the track that aesthetically is… well, race aesthetics are the last value. His three top drivers, Bagnaia, Matín and Bastianini tested it and the conclusion was: Bastianini sees enormous potential in him, Jorge Martín has serious doubts, and when asked, Bagnaia assured that he is positioning himself in middle. Then there’s the tire factor, as both aerodynamic strategies work differently depending on how many turns the motorcycle’s tires have.

But the icing on the cake has been removed – for now, as there is one day of testing left – Aprilia, that yesterday he mounted an aero rake on one of his motorcycles, which is a very remarkable structure fixed on the rear of the motorcycle – see photo – equipped with sensors that record the air pressure in each of the them.

“We design aerodynamics using software on our computers. In the aero rake, what we are looking for is to verify that the theoretical calculations match the reality,” he explained this Wednesday. Albesian Romanthe head of the MotoGP project at the Noale factory.

Yes, aerodynamics is to engineers what an amusement park is to a child, but . Nakamoto was right!