Graphic: Backfire Racing.
To keep competition close across a grid featuring several different motorcycle manufacturers, MotoGP uses a concessions system that gives struggling manufacturers extra development allowances.
Why Concessions Exist
When a manufacturer falls significantly behind competitively, often due to being newer to the series or working through a difficult technical period, concessions give them additional testing days, engine development opportunities, and aerodynamic upgrade allowances to help close the gap.
How Concession Tiers Are Assigned
Manufacturers are typically sorted into tiers based on recent results, with the least competitive manufacturers receiving the most generous concessions, while the most dominant manufacturers face tighter restrictions on in-season development.
Trade-offs for Struggling Manufacturers
In exchange for these benefits, manufacturers receiving concessions sometimes face other restrictions, such as limits on which riders they can field or reduced private testing access outside the concession-specific allowances.
How This Complements Rider-Level Rules
Concessions operate at the manufacturer level, separate from rider-specific rules like the grid penalties discussed in how grid penalties work in MotoGP, addressing competitive balance at the equipment level rather than through individual race incidents.
Why the System Matters for the Grid’s Long-Term Health
By helping struggling manufacturers catch up rather than fall permanently behind, the concessions system aims to keep multiple manufacturers competitive over the long term, which benefits the sport by avoiding grids dominated by a single dominant brand for years at a time.
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