The summer break, which lasts more than a month, gives us the opportunity to make an initial assessment of the technical innovations for 2021. At the beginning of the year, the possible fields of action for each of the six manufacturers that make up the line-up were analyzed. We’ve discussed it at length in these two articles: Part One and Part Two.
After about six months, we’ll pick up the thread of the discussion again by summarizing what the manufacturers actually put on the line. The same presentation order as before is used for consistency.
DUCATI, TOP AERO AND DOCILE ALSO WITH ‘ROOKIES’
The generation change of the drivers in the works team and the technical refinements have helped to alleviate the lack of harmony between the chassis and the Michelin rear tire revealed last season. Even the difficulties in cornering, in which the Desmosedici historically does not outperform the best of the competition, have been alleviated by the new motorcycle-tire-driver-package. Ducati was considered an unfriendly motorcycle for several seasons, which required enormous knowledge to fully exploit it. This trend now goes against the … trend and The Desmosedici has also proven to be competitive with rookie drivers in the premier class. The Rossa di Borgo Panigale has not only been the benchmark in terms of absolute performance for years, but is also often used as a model for its technological innovations. The look of the GP21 does not differ much from the 2020 model. Among the differences we mention the salad box, in which the mass damper is housed, with a slightly different shape. Ducati also intervened on lower profile of the side panels to improve aerodynamics. According to the MotoGP official website, the goal of the Bolognese company’s technicians is to help the bike spin by increasing the aerodynamic load. In terms of fairing, the air intake has also been updated. From a chassis point of view, how can one not mention the holeshot device on the front axle, which has been much discussed since the beginning of the season? Another technical curiosity is the notorious “spoon”, which turns into a “shield” when it rains.
HONDA, NEW AERO, THE ABSENCE OF MARQUEZ IN DEVELOPMENT WEIGHTS HARD
There’s no point in fooling around the bush that 2020 season was heavily influenced by the injury to Marc Marquez’s arm. The Spaniard returned to the saddle in the 2021 season (he missed the first two races in Qatar) but not in perfect physical shape. this continues to affect racing performance and make the overall assessment of Honda more difficult, who cannot regularly make it onto the podium without their top driver in top form. Marquez obviously could not contribute to the development of the pre-season and this led to a certain indecision in further direction, especially with the evaluation of the chassis. Three different frames were used throughout the season. The 2021 with a large section of carbon near the main beam, the 2020 frame, used by Marc Marquez for most of the season, and the new 2021, which was tested in January by test rider Stefan Bradl and in the race by Pol Espargarò and Marquez himself GP was used during ace. Another area of application that the Japanese technicians have focused on is Aerodynamics after trying five different configurations earlier this year. The German Sachsenring race marked not only the return of Marquez to his winning road, but also the debut of the new aerodynamic package and the holeshot device on the front. A new air intake that resembles the shape of the Yamaha was also seen during mid-season testing.
YAMAHA, AN EYE AT TIRE PRESSURE
The freeze on development does not allow any major upheavals for the current season. Independent of that, the company was Iwata has interpreted the philosophy of continuous development without particular technical revolutions for years. Obviously, he remains true to the choice of the engine with four cylinders in line. The difference in performance in terms of top speed compared to the competition with the “V4” architecture does not prevent the M1 from often crossing the finish line first. As if to say that the time lost on the straights and beyond in other parts of the route will be compensated for. In addition, reliability has improved after solving the problem related to the delivery of valves in 2020. Last year Yamaha won seven times but was plagued by the inconsistency in the performance of its riders who were sometimes in the rear for no clear technical reason. In 2021 it was decided to take a step back into the frame and come up with a solution more similar to the one adopted in 2019. The results seem to be in line with those of the Yamaha, which is very effective in both qualifying and the race. The results were specially achieved by Fabio Quartararo. The other teammates cannot be as fast and consistent for various reasons. The most important technical innovation was the introduction of the front holeshot device, on the occasion of the Mugello GP. From an aerodynamic point of view, the M1 comes with a new front fender that appears to help keep the operating temperature lower and thus avoid excessive pressure build-up. Incorrect tire pressure in the race was accused several times last season when the results achieved did not meet expectations.
SUZUKI, STILL BEHIND THE ENGINE
It is the only other manufacturer at the start that has opted for an inline engine architecture together with Yamaha. The two Japanese motorcycles are not only similar in terms of design, but also in terms of their behavior on the track. The effectiveness in the more technical sections of the circuit is increased at the expense of acceleration and maximum speed on the straight. The component that sets the Hamamatsu manufacturer apart from the competition is the lack of both front and rear holeshot devices. The effectiveness of these devices has now been so well documented that all teams have followed the path chosen by Ducati. We imagine that Suzuki technicians are working hard to close this technical gap compared to the competition as quickly as possible, also spurred on by the requests of Me. Alex Rins and the reigning world champion Joan Mir have tested a new, not yet officially approved frame. From an aerodynamic point of view, there are no major differences to the previous season. The impression, which is partly confirmed by the results on the track, is that the Suzuki has developed less than the competition over the course of 2021. The important innovations are Engine improvements introduced with a view to 2022. They have been tested by both the official drivers and test drivers Sylvain Guintoli with the main aim of reducing the gap in top speed compared to the faster ‘V4’ competitors.
KTM, ALLROUND DEVELOPMENT
From the 2021 season thanks to the results achieved on the track last year, the Austrian company loses the right to concessions. The obvious question is whether the KTM has reached a level of competition that enables the motorcycle to compete for the top positions with the already established competition. The first GP of the season did not bring the Mattighofen manufacturer’s expected results. The turning point of the season for KTM was the Mugello GP with the introduction of a new chassis As a result, the factory team drivers were able to regain the excellent sensations of the previous season, which had disappeared with the change in the specification of the Michelin 2021 front tire. In particular, the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira has put together a roadmap similar to the best in class from the Tuscan round. In addition to the chassis, the test team around Dani Pedrosa is working on other components such as the exhaust and saddle ergonomics for the next season. During the test after the Catalunya GP, we saw a new aerodynamic solution for the fairing.
APRILIA, CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT THANKS TO “CONCESSIONS”
The Noale manufacturer traces what KTM did last year. Aprilia is make the most of the concessions the regulations allow the difference in performance to the other manufacturers to be reduced. The results that Aprilia achieved on the track in 2021 are evidence of this. Both in terms of the position reached and in terms of the time gap to the podium. The RS-GP 2021 has seen a profound renewal. You can see them optically huge front wing to increase downforce. The areas of intervention are expanded, albeit less visible, in the various main components. As I said the aerodynamics, but also a new frame and new engine. In addition, the technicians also intervened on Salad box and on the exhausts. The excellent results were also achieved thanks to the good reliability, which is anything but self-evident in a completely new project. One curiosity concerns the holeshot device which, unlike its competitors, was installed on the front first. The rear device was missing and was implemented in 2021. Aprilia is also experimenting with new solutions for the front fender, but with different goals than the Yamaha configuration.
Source: www.motogp.com