Renewable fuels in MotoGP & WorldSBK: Problem and reward for TotalEnergies

The 2025 MotoGP season can be upon us inside a couple of weeks. And whereas cost-saving rules restrict bike improvement for many of the bike producers, gas suppliers are relishing the prospect to chase much more efficiency in 12 months two of the renewable fuels period.

2024 was a major 12 months for the gas corporations concerned, which embrace French big TotalEnergies. Consistent with the worldwide shift in the direction of environmentally-friendly applied sciences, a brand new mandate required MotoGP bikes to run with 40% non-fossil (renewable) fuels of their tanks from the primary race.

The rules, which additionally lengthen to Moto2 and Moto3, are a part of a much bigger plan for the classes to be operating 100% non-fossil fuels from the 2027 season onwards however discussions to finalize rules are nonetheless going down.

Altering up the chemical combine to this extent might sound easy on paper, but it surely was an enormous problem for the gas suppliers concerned. Notably contemplating that MotoGP and WorldSBK are open gas classes: compliance must be achieved while additionally staying forward of the competitors.

As TotalEnergies Motorsport Technical Supervisor Thomas Fritsch explains, preparing for the large change was hardly a fast job.

“We began to work on creating the MotoGP gas round three years in the past,” says Fritsch. “We actually put a whole lot of power into exploring new molecules for 2024.

“The most important problem, in fact, was to search out the precise renewable molecule. One appropriate for race bike engines. And when you consider new molecules, you all the time have to consider the provision. So, contemplating all that, it was one in every of our greatest achievements to see the gas prepared for the primary races of 2024: Phillip Island for WorldSBK and Losail for MotoGP.

“Absolute reliability of the engine and the efficiency stage have been additionally an enormous a part of the satisfaction there.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Crew

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs

Whereas getting such revolutionary merchandise to far-flung beginning grids in stable working order was an achievement in itself, massive strides have been made by the season as suggestions landed and the gas was honed. How does Fritsch look again on that first 12 months?

“It was fairly difficult operating 40% renewable fuels in each MGP and WSBK,” he says. “However all in all we’re proud of the season.

“We labored nicely and had nice collaboration with our companions. The suggestions from the groups was crucial, not solely on efficiency and consumption but in addition on energy supply, which might have an effect on bike dealing with.”

The work definitely doesn’t cease right here. 2024 was only the start of a protracted technical improvement journey because the classes transfer in the direction of the even greater adjustments coming in 2027.

“We received’t cease product improvement simply because it matches present necessities. Simply as a producer tries to develop the bike to get each little bit of efficiency, we do the identical.

“We’re all the time attempting to enhance the fuels. So R&D work will proceed, race after race, to ensure that us to have the ability to deliver optimistic evolutions as rapidly as potential.”

Removed from being some type of restrictive handbrake, Fritsch says the transfer in the direction of renewables has translated to a technically thrilling, modern period for him and his staff.

“To make the introduction of renewable molecules simpler, they opened up the rules a bit of bit. They opened some doorways that had been closed for a few years, lifting some restrictions across the gas formulation. That was fairly a game-changer throughout gas improvement. And it meant an enormous step when it comes to our technical formulation.”

Would he be prepared to disclose a bit of extra about these, maybe?

“I received’t say an excessive amount of concerning the know-how as a result of secret recipes come into play for the 2 bike championships! It’s not like within the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) or Fanatec GT World Problem, the place we’re the unique gas provider and we are able to talk what we’re doing. Right here, we’re working purely with companions in a aggressive scenario.”

“What I can say, aside from it being 40% non-fossil, is that it’s very high-end know-how. The perfect we are able to provide!”

Strictly talking, that solely goes for the MotoGP brew. WorldSBK equipment is rather less discerning – and budgets a contact much less extravagant.

“MotoGP is a prototype engine, in fact, whereas WorldSBK is a stock-based engine. So it’s important to be extra versatile in the case of WorldSBK. You additionally must be a bit extra cautious concerning the value of the gas.

“So whereas the WorldSBK gas has resulted from all of the testing we’ve performed in MotoGP, it’s not precisely the identical product.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Crew, Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.It Racing – Ducati

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs

It’s all a bit of extra nebulous than with Excellium Racing 100, the 100% sustainable gas used within the aforementioned sportscar championships, which we all know is made primarily from wine business residues. However whereas we are able to’t share a lot about what’s within the secret sauce for top-drawer bike racing, Fritsch assures us that the gas suppliers can nonetheless seize massive good points when it comes to each efficiency and sustainability credentials.

Making these good points first – and bringing them to on a regular basis motorcyclists earlier than the competitors – is a main purpose TotalEnergies goes bike racing.

“We wish to say that the monitor is our lab. It’s the place to do proofs of ideas for gas. And that’s extra the case than ever with these new MotoGP rules.

“What we’ve developed is pure racing gas, but it surely’s a core worth for us that it’s street and business related. We don’t wish to make something that’s too distant from on a regular basis gas. We actually think about ‘monitor to street’ improvement.

“In actual fact, it’s the identical individuals inside our firm creating race gas and gas for street software. This maximises the switch of know-how, and that’s an excellent factor for our prospects, whether or not in racing or on the street.”

Whereas the hyperlinks between racetrack and street know-how are hardly ever disputed, what about these between creating race gas for bikes versus vehicles? Or, to be extra correct, the variations?

“Bikes are very attention-grabbing from a technical perspective,” reveals Fritsch. “Volumes are small and the engines are very high-end, so you may develop gas in very small batches. You should utilize very prototype molecules and formulation.

“When making a gas it’s good to analyse all of the parameters. You should have a very good overview of the motor – and simply by taking a look at which you can see the large distinction between a automobile and a motorcycle engine.

“With bikes, you’ve small capability and really excessive revs, so it’s very totally different. If I evaluate MotoGP to WEC for instance, a MotoGP engine revs two or thrice increased. So that you’re not trying on the identical parameters in the case of gas.

“You’re taking a look at whether or not it’s important to maximise combustion efficiency, combustion pace, engine knocking, gas consumption. There are additionally totally different wants between dash and endurance races. And also you’ve obtained naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines too.

“Possibly it’s extra acceptable to make a comparability with F1. However even in comparison with F1, the bike engine revs manner increased. The bike is of course aspirated and F1 is turbo, and hybrid too. You don’t want the torque on the identical second.

“In the end, gas necessities are all depending on the kind of engine, its utilization and aims.”

That final reality tells you all it’s good to learn about why TotalEnergies embraces such quite a lot of motorsport classes, on each two wheels and 4. There’s no higher manner for them to find and develop totally different approaches to fuels which might be kinder to our local weather and the setting. And accomplish that on the quickest potential pace!