FIM says CRTs to stay on in MotoGP in 2013

That is the belief of FIM president Vito Ippolito, who said that his objective of getting existing factory teams to supply cheaper prototypes could yet be met by Honda.

Until that happens, however, he insists CRT machines - originally borne out of a need to boost grid numbers as escalating costs led to fewer satellite teams - would continue to exist.

While CRTs have been successful in keeping costs lower, they have effectively created a two tier championship.

"MotoGP will carry on with CRTs, with the objective of building more competitive bikes in 2014 thanks to development work and new regulations. The scenario will change," Ippolito told Motosprint.

"We asked the manufacturers to build production prototypes, which has been for years an objective of mine, but they said no, so there was no solution other than inventing another type of bike: that's how CRTs came about."

Asked whether Honda's plans to sell production replicas of its works bike from 2014, and for under £1,000,000, had been ratified, Ippolito said: "[It] looks like it, let's see what happens in 2014.

"I expect construction of this type of bike, and I hope more manufacturers will follow suit. We at FIM - and Dorna agrees - want to convince the manufacturers into building those famous production prototypes that worked so well in the 80s and 90s and kept the sector going.

"Real racing bikes, competitive while not too expensive. Those were the 500cc years, but it can be done with MotoGP too."

Ippolito added that other major changes were being discussed for the future of the sport, including the much-discussed introduction of a control ECU and potential calendar changes.

"We are working with Dorna on the new set of regulations, exactly because we want other manufacturers like BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Aprilia to enter," he explained.

On the subject of control ECUs, and reported factory resistance, he said: "No, they are adjusting to it. The control ECU and the rev limit will be a fundamental part in the set of regulations for 2014. The three MotoGP manufacturers have long opposed it but we are now on the right path to find an agreement.

"Within a short span of time, two or three years, we'll have more and more races outside Europe. The reason is the economic crisis. Dorna is hard at work to return to return [to Brazil and South America], we'll soon go to India and we are working towards going to Indonesia. I think Spanish promoters will opt for a rotation system too.

"We'll see how things develop, but it's clear by now that there are always more and more requests for MotoGP races in countries far from Europe."