Dorna may be the rights holder to Grand Prix racing, but it’s the MSMA that rules the roost regarding the technical rules and changes where even IRTA and the FIM take the back seat and allow almost free reign to the manufacturers, with the results we’ve seen over the past few years, especially in MotoGP, going from exciting racing to downright boring.
To try to make the MSMA engineers slightly more reasonable, Dorna needed an independent liaison with a background in the technical aspects and the economics of building motorcycles, something they were actually missing on their front, so they’ve appointed Corrado Cecchinelli as Director of Technology.
Cecchinello has an extensive engineering background and has worked for Piaggio for two years and in Ducati for thirteen, following the Superbike project, then as a Technical Director and a Vice Director General and has already worked with the MSMA, but the big question is will this new political role give him a bigger say and above all give Dorna more control over some of the manufacturers decisions? As they say, only time will tell.
Press release after the jump.
Corrado Cecchinelli appointed MotoGP Director of TechnologyCorrado Cecchinelli has been appointed as the Director of Technology for the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The experienced Italian will oversee and be responsible for all technical developments relating to the three World Championship categories; 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP.
One of the main functions of Cecchinelli’s role will include the development of new regulations regarding the implementation of the Moto3 category and the new 1000cc engine capacity in MotoGP, both of which come into effect in 2012.
He will also play a key role in providing a technical link between manufacturers and suppliers and the organisations involved in the governing of the World Championship, which include the FIM, the MSMA, IRTA and Dorna.
Cecchinelli has an extensive amount of experience and knowledge in motorcycling, and after obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering – in which he specialised in automobile mechanics – he worked for Piaggio for two years.
A five-year period working on Ducati’s superbike project then followed between 1997 and 2002, and from 2003 to 2005 Cecchinelli was Technical Director for the Borgo Panigale factory’s MotoGP team.
In 2006 Cecchinelli took up the post of Vice Director General at Ducati Corse, a position he held until the end of 2010 prior to his appointment as MotoGP Director of Technology.