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Ezpeleta: Rookies rule set for 2010

MotoGP rights holder Carmelo Ezpeleta says the regulation to prevent factory teams from signing rookie riders in 2009 was decided even without unanimous agreement among the teams

The rule is intended to help customer teams to improve their performance by allowing them to recruit the most promising riders from the junior categories. Not all of MotoGP's works teams have agreed to it, but Ezpeleta says it will be introduced anyway.

"There is not unanimous agreement, some of them prefer to maintain their freedom," he said. "But because there is not a unanimous opposition, we think we can make these measures. I think we have ways to resolve this problem."

Ezpeleta explained that in order to reach his target of 20 bikes on the grid, the series organisers need to help the satellite teams where possible.

"The most important thing is to give to the independent teams the possibility to be competitive," said Ezpeleta. "The independent teams are suffering a lot and we need to provide to them some measures. This is something they have requested strongly and we think it's a possibility."

Of the current MotoGP front-runners, Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo were all signed straight to works teams from the 250cc class, while Casey Stoner had a learning season with LCR Honda before joining Ducati and taking the 2007 title.

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