Should there be a minimum weight rule in MotoGP?
by Gerald Dimbreck · AutosportMotoGP lacks a crucial rule regarding combined minimum weight, forcing taller riders to adhere to strict diets
MotoGP is the only grand prix class without a combined minimum weight for motorcycle and rider. While such regulations exist in Moto3, Moto2, and the World Superbike championship to offset the disadvantages faced by taller and heavier riders, no comparable rule applies at the top level of motorcycle racing.
In Moto3, the combined minimum weight of bike and rider is 152kg, while in Moto2 it is set at 217kg. In WSBK it is a special case as it applies a correction factor for rider weight, in addition to the minimum bike weight of 168kg.
The championship has set 80kg as the reference value, including rider kit. For lighter riders, 50% of the difference is added to the motorcycle in the form of ballast. If a Superbike rider weighs 68kg including equipment, the difference to the 80-kilogram reference is 12kg, meaning six kilograms of ballast must be fitted to the bike.
MotoGP has no such compensation system. The minimum weight of a MotoGP prototype is 157kg, and differences between heavier and lighter riders are not balanced out. As a result, weight management remains a key focus for all riders.
“We are the elite of motorsport and we work on every detail,” stressed 2024 world champion Jorge Martin. “And one of those details is weight. We are all really, really thin and try to be strong and have good endurance, but at a lower weight.”
The Spaniard is blunt about the consequences: “It’s always a fight to find that balance. And yes, the guy who weighs more than 70 kilos basically has a problem.”
At 63kg and 168cm tall, Martin is among the lightest riders on the MotoGP grid.
Luca Marini calls for a minimum weight rule
At the opposite end of the scale is Luca Marini, who at 184cm was the tallest rider on the grid in 2025. Despite his height, Dorna data lists the Italian at just 69kg without equipment.
“I weigh 70 kilos,” Marini says. “But it’s always been the same: the lighter you are, the faster you go and the less you use the tyres – like [Dani] Pedrosa. In my opinion, there should be a minimum weight rule, like in every other sport.
“In the end, that’s the only thing missing in MotoGP. For lighter riders, it’s always easier to gain weight. You just train more or eat more. For heavier riders, at a certain point it becomes impossible to go below a certain weight.”
Four riders in the past season were taller than 180cm: Marini (184cm), Joan Mir (181cm), Fermin Aldeguer (181cm) and Alex Marquez (180cm).
Alex Marquez, who finished runner up in the championship last year, underlined that height was not a significant disadvantage.
“When you have a lot of direction changes, being taller can help, because you have more strength and can move the weight to the side at the right moment,” he said.
For that reason, the Gresini rider believes the advantages and disadvantages of taller and shorter riders largely balance each other out.
“It’s true that the weight of all MotoGP riders is now more or less the same,” he said. “We’re all between 65 and 70 kilos. So you don’t really feel those five kilos, and I don’t think height will be a problem for me.”
No rider weighed more than 70kg last season. In 2026, another tall rider will join the MotoGP grid, with Toprak Razgatlioglu moving across from WSBK to join Pramac. Yamaha lists him at 182cm and 72kg.
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- The Autosport.com Team