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Why new look MotoGP has the making of an unmissable season

Against the backdrop of rider moves, a calendar shake-up and different rules to play by - thanks to a development freeze instigated by Dorna in the name of cost-saving - the much-delayed MotoGP season has all the ingredients necessary for a classic

In the four months since the planned 2020 season opener in Qatar was abandoned due to the coronavirus crisis, the MotoGP landscape has changed considerably.

The financial bite of COVID-19 has forced governing body the FIM and series promoter Dorna Sports to rethink MotoGP in the short term, with the most notable changes being the ban on bike development for all manufacturers for 2020 and a freeze over the winter that will carry over to the opening of the 2021 campaign. This will put the efforts of winter testing more into focus for all manufacturers, with any apparent problems in their packages now potentially transformed into long-term flaws.

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Author Lewis Duncan

Lewis Duncan is Autosport's International Editor and primary motorcycle racing reporter. A motorsport fan from a young age, Lewis became interested in journalism when he won the star letter competition in the February 2012 issue of F1 Racing Magazine. A member of the Autosport Academy from 2017, Lewis became a freelance motorcycle racing correspondent for Autosport in 2019 before becoming a full-time staffer in 2020 as International Editor.

While MotoGP coverage is his priority, Lewis also covers World Superbikes and road racing across the Motorsport Network, and hosts the Tank Slappers Podcast. He has also occasionally commentated on 750 Motor Club meetings. Away from motorsport, Lewis is a keen record collector with a collection unashamedly largely featuring Iron Maiden and Rush and an avid guitar player.