11 Teams Still in Running to Enter MotoGP in 2012 Season

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

They're going to need a bigger bench

MotoGP rider line-up, Qatar MotoGP 2011
MotoGP rider line-up, Qatar MotoGP 2011

The International Motorcycling Federation announced 11 teams have passed the latest round of applications for the 2012 MotoGP season.

MotoGP promoter Dorna and the International Road Racing Teams Association selected 11 new teams representing 16 riders to continue with the application process for the 2012 season. Applicants submitted detailed plans for participation to the IRTA by May 14. The FIM announced in April that 14 teams and 21 riders had passed the previous step but the list was whittled down to 13 teams after the May 13-15 Le Mans round.

The 11 remaining teams will have until June 3 to provide a security deposit with the IRTA. Dorna and the IRTA will then decide during the June 3-5 Catalunya Grand Prix which teams will be offered a contract to race in the 2012 season. Teams wishing to participate as Claiming Rule Teams will also have to receive approval from the Grand Prix Commission. While there’s no guarantee all 11 remaining teams will pass this final step, the MotoGP grid will be a lot larger than its current 17-rider lineup.

The FIM did not announce which teams had made it past the recent round of cuts, though it is believed that Norton had applied for a team with two riders. Following the Catalunya grand Prix, the FIM will release the names of the teams invited to join the existing teams for the 2012 MotoGP season.

Related Reading
14 Teams Accepted for 2012 MotoGP Season
MotoGP Accepting Applications for 2012

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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