Bigger MotoGP riders have long ar𒀰gued that the lack of a combined weight gives an unfair advantage to sm🔴aller riders in terms of acceleration, top speed (aerodynamics) and tyre wear.

The counterargument is that very small riders face a disadvantage during hard braking, generating tyre heat in cold or w🔥et conditions and when trying to physicallꦜy lever a bike from side-to-side in fast corners.

For such reasons, and to avoid loading the bike of a light rider with unsafe amounts of ballast, WorldSBK’s compromise is to impose a mini🦂mum bike weight (168kg) plus a new rওider reference weight of 80kg (with equipment).

Riders weighing less than the reference will now be required to carry 0.5kg of ballast for every 1kg they are under. In other words, 50% of the difference, rather than the normal 100%. It was expected that the lightest WorldSBK riders will need to add 5-6kg to their machines this year, although reigning champion Alvaro Bautista 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:is tipped to need 7kg.

The impact o🎐🌳f the WorldSBK weight change will be keenly watched by the likes of new Repsol Honda rider Luca Marini.

The Italian - the tallest but not the heaviest rider on the current MotoGP grid - has long campaigned for the use of a ‘democratic’ combined weight in the premier class anꦿd had hoped WorldSBK would lead the way over a year ago. The Moto3 and Moto2 grand prix classes already have a rider and bike combined weight.

"They are tr✨ying it in SBK [in 2024]. I am very curious about this and maybe in the future it will come to MotoGP," Marini said.

The followin🐼g list shows the height and weight of each rider on the 2024 MotoGP grid, according to MotoGP.com.

The list shows a difference of just 11kg between the sma🥃llest to largest riders, so is a combined weight even necessary?

But just a few years ago, the difference between Dani Pedrosa (51kg/160cm) and Danilo Petrucci (78kg/181cm) stood at 27kg. And without a com൲bined weight, the concern is that bigger riders might not ev꧃en be considered for MotoGP.

There is always the risk that things will go too far the other way, and smaller riders become overly disadvantaged. However, it is generally easier for a smaller rider to gain some weight and muscle, than for a💞n already lean tall 🧸rider to try and lose even more.

• Augusto Fernandez: 72kg/180cm
• Alex Rins: 72kg/176cm
• Takaaki Nakagami: 70kg/175cm
• Luca Marini: 69kg/184cm
• Joan Mir: 69kg/181cm
• Raul Fernandez: 68kg/179cm
• Fabio di Giannantonio: 68kg/175cm
• Johann Zarco: 68kg/171cm
• Francesco Bagnaia: 67kg/176cm
• Franco Morbidelli: 67kg/176cm
• Aleix Espargaro: 66kg/180cm
• Jorge Martin: 65kg/167cm
• Alex Marquez: 65kg/180cm
• Fabio Quartararo: 64kg/177cm
• Jack Miller: 64kg/173cm
• Maverick Vinales: 64kg/171cm
• Marc Marquez: 64kg/169cm
• Enea Bastianini: 64kg/168cm
• Brad Binder: 63kg/170cm
• Miguel Oliveira: 63kg/170cm
• Pedro Acosta: 62kg/171cm
• Marco Bezzecchi: 61kg/174cm