The MotoGP Championship is the pinnacle class of world championship road racing that developed primarily in Europe after the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) consolidated the regulations for motorcycle competition for the first time in 1949. In the past, the pinnacle class was the 500cc class of the Road Race World Championships, but in 2002 the regulation was changed to create the MotoGP class in which 2-stroke machines of up to 500 cc and 4-stroke machines of up to 990 cc competed together.

The regulation was changed again in 2004 to limit the MotoGP class to 4-stroke machines only, and the displacement limit was reduced to 800 cc in the regulation from the 2007 season. Since then, new regulations have also made a single maker the sole supplier of tyres for MotoGP, limited the number of tyres that can be used by a team during race week and reduced the number of test days. In 2010, regulations changed to limit the number of engines a single rider can use during the season to six. 2011 was the last for the 800cc machines, with regulations changing for 2012 to allow 1000cc bikes onto the grid.

This season will also be the first for the new CRT Teams (Claiming Rule Teams). In a bid to reduce the cost of entry into the premier class of racing, CRT teams will benefit from the use of greater fuel allowances than factory and established satellite teams (24litres instead of 21) and will be allowed a greater number of engines throughout the season (eight instead of six). CRT teams within the MotoGP class will also be entitled to purchase the engine from a competitor CRT bike for a fixed price of 15,000 euros. Whilst CRT chassis will need to be prototype, the teams are entitled to use production-based engines.

With all these changes, MotoGP has now entered a new era. Both full factory and CRT bikes will have a light chassis of around 150kg, the machines achieve a maximum output of over 220 hp and reach speeds of over 340km/hr. The latest electronic control technology is employed throughout. Competitors compete for position in approximately a 40-minute race on paved circuit with a length of 4~5km, with laps capped to about 110 to 120 km.

Italian riders, including Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini, have the best all-time records, winning a total of 20 titles in this premier class. Yamaha has a total of 15 titles, including ten in the GP500 and four in the MotoGP. Yamaha Factory Racing won the Triple Crown of Rider, Team and Manufacturer’s title three years consecutively, 2008 – 2010.