Why the real winner in the MotoGP Czech GP wasn’t KTM

The Czech Grand Prix was a landmark day for KTM, after rookie Brad Binder took the RC16 to both the marque's and the South African's debut MotoGP victory. It was an incredible achievement, testament to KTM's tireless development and ardent belief in itself and Binder.

But KTM and Binder weren't, arguably, the real winners of last weekend's Brno race.

The ones with the biggest smiles on their faces after last weekend was surely MotoGP's promoters Dorna Sports and its CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta. KTM's win made it the fifth manufacturer of the current six to win a premier class race since 2015. When you consider that between 2011 and 2015, only Honda and Yamaha riders won grands prix, the Czech GP result comes further into focus.

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The financial crash of 2008 plunged MotoGP into turbulent times, with the grid dwindling in numbers and the performance gap widening throughout the field. By 2011 there was just 17 full-time entries, and with no solutions forthcoming from the leading manufacturers in Honda and Yamaha, Dorna got radical.

Ezpeleta brought in the CRT (Claiming Rule Team) regulations, which allowed teams to field production-based machinery. The move boosted grid numbers significantly, with 21 full-time entries on the 2012 grid.

The move, however, was heavily criticised, with Cal Crutchlow remembering "people were laughing at the championship [and] at the people on privateer bikes". But the pain was necessary and was step one of Ezpeleta's master plan.

"In the end the CRTs were criticised a lot, but it was very smart move from Carmelo Ezpeleta to show to the manufacturers that 'the world has changed, we have to change - if you don't change, I will do it by myself'," ex-Honda boss Livio Suppo told Autosport earlier in the year. "At the end, the manufacturers realised and changed approach."

Ezpeleta's hardline approach with the leading manufacturer unwilling to relent its power eventually got them to fall in line, under threat that MotoGP would become a full CRT championship.

The CRT's evolved into the Open class regulations in 2014, whereby those running under the regulations would have to use the standard Magneti Marelli electronics package. This would form the basis of the game-changing ruleset to come in 2016, which was the introduction of spec electronics for the whole grid.

"CRTs were criticised a lot, but it was very smart move from Carmelo Ezpeleta to show to the manufacturers that 'the world has changed, we have to change - if you don't change, I will do it by myself'" Livio Suppo, former Honda MotoGP boss

Also introduced was the concession system in 2014. Ducati moved to take profit of this, running with the standard electronics package - though Yamaha and Honda kicked up a fuss at fears of the struggling Italian marque abusing the rules, and thus the clunky 'Factory 2' regulations were brought in to categorise manufacturers running concessions they would lose should certain results criteria be met over the course of a season.

Suzuki and Aprilia would run under these rules upon their return in 2015 - both electing to get a year of experience on the electronics before the grid-wide switch the following year to effectively the same software. Come 2016 the Open class was gone, with the entire field made up of proper prototype machinery, and the results were immediate. Ducati won its first races since 2010, Suzuki was a grand prix winner at Silverstone, while satellite riders won races for the first time since 2006. The following year, KTM would come to MotoGP and in 2018 - albeit in wet conditions - get Pol Espargaro on the podium at the Valencia GP.

And since, Ducati has been a championship contender, Suzuki has won two more races, Aprilia led at Phillip Island last season briefly and ran second on merit at Brno in the opening stages. A satellite rider leads the world standings in the form of SRT Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo, while Johann Zarco's year-old Avintia-run Ducati and - essentially - a year-old Yamaha was on the podium at Brno courtesy of Franco Morbidelli.

Without Dorna's efforts, KTM's victory at Brno - just four years into the project - very likely wouldn't have been possible. In fact, it's not unreasonable to suggest it may never have bothered coming to MotoGP in the first place. The concessions afforded to new manufacturers and those who haven't won, chief amongst which allowing private testing with race riders as well as unlimited engine development, was just as key as the introduction of spec electronics.

Although the field is now much closer (the top 19 in qualifying for both Jerez races were covered by 0.9s, while at Brno that gap covered the top 18), KTM motorsport boss Pit Beirer notes that Dorna's crusade has also made MotoGP even tougher to crack.

"First of all, Dorna did fantastic," Beirer said when asked by Autosport how much KTM's Brno win was a result of Dorna's efforts since 2012 in tightening the field. "But when we decided to come into the class, you could still look at the list and if you had a good day, you are two seconds slower per lap, you could still catch a point.

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"If you look today, if you are one second off in the qualifying practice you are down in 20th position. Dorna did an incredible job to give every manufacturer room to develop its own motorcycle, their own bike, with its own identity. But the rules are still tough enough that nobody can be completely out of range and use completely crazy technology. So, I think the rules are just perfect to have close competition."

Another element of the "perfect" regulations is Dorna's work with satellite teams. In its current agreement with them, satellite squads are given financial support to the tune of €2 million to cover the leasing of machinery. This has allowed the likes of SRT with Yamaha, Pramac with Ducati, LCR with Honda and Tech3 with KTM to get current-spec bikes, with those manufacturers seizing the opportunity to offer full factory support to aid development.

As war rages in Formula 1 over Racing Point's 'Pink Mercedes', MotoGP is enjoying the mix of factory and works-supported satellite teams (of which all now are, after Avintia became an official Ducati satellite rather than just a customer this season) battle for the podium.

At Brno on Sunday, the top 10 consisted of a factory team and satellite KTM, two customer and a factory team Yamaha, a year-old and current-spec satellite Ducatis, a Suzuki, a year-old satellite Honda and an Aprilia, with just 15 seconds covering them - and that is a gap somewhat exaggerated by rookie Binder's incredible romp to a 5.2s lead come the chequered flag.

The result was once again proof that MotoGP is one of the most competitive world championships in motorsport. But it wouldn't have been possible without the convictions Ezpeleta and Dorna had at MotoGP's nadir to transform the championship into the competitive spectacle it has become. The Czech GP will always be remembered as the momentous day it was for Binder and KTM, but it should never be forgotten that it was also a day of total vindication for the championship itself.

Without Dorna's efforts, KTM's victory at Brno - just four years into the project - very likely wouldn't have been possible. In fact, it may never have bothered coming to MotoGP in the first place

And that may take on even more significance in the next couple of years. On Wednesday, the UK economy plunged into its largest ever recession as a result of the chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Other countries will surely suffer similar fates by the end of the year. Times of financial strain often impact world sport hard - as was the case with MotoGP in the wake of the 2008 crash as mentioned, and the mass exodus of manufacturers from F1 in 2008 and 2009.

If a manufacturer isn't proving successful in whatever championship it is competing, justifying that expense becomes impossible.

But given MotoGP is the most competitive it has ever been, with KTM's Brno win only strengthening that, what began with the savaged CRT rules may just have safeguarded MotoGP for when the world finally emerges from the dark shroud of COVID-19.

"That's a good point," Suppo responds when Autosport asks if the groundwork laid by the CRTs may protect MotoGP from the coronavirus fallout. "At the end of the day, this virus has been something totally unexpected and totally new, [it's] never happened before, something like this [in our lifetime].

"I believe Dorna and the investment funds behind it, they have the power to manage the situation. But for sure, having more manufacturers involved helps to keep MotoGP alive even in such a difficult situation."