Hoffman: 800s no safer

Alex Hofmann reckons the switch to smaller capacity 800cc machines won’t significantly improve safety in the MotoGP world championship for 2007.

Capacity was slashed from the old 990cc limit and fuel tank capacity cut from 22 to 21 litres for the new season in a bid to improve safety in the premier class.

The new rules were implemented following the death of Daijiro Kato at Suzuka’s Japanese GP in 2003. With the 990cc machines putting out over 250bhp and easily topping speeds of over 210mph, the new rules were designed to improve safety, cut lap times and outright top speeds.

But increased corner speeds have already seen the new 800cc machines set lap times faster than the 990s at some tracks, and D’Antin Ducati rider Hofmann said:

“Where you usually crash in the corners we are going faster so I think the whole safety thing didn’t work out how they planned it. Usually you crash in the corners and right now this is where we are going much faster compared to last year’s bikes.”