FIM withdraw extra grid slot for 2017

The FIM have announced that there will be no 24th bike in the MotoGP world championship next season.

There had been one single remaining slot on the grid next season, with Sito Pons being the favourite to field a single bike. However, no manufacturer has come forward to provide a bike for any team, leading to the FIM withdrawing the entry.

In a statement, the FIM announced that they had received “expressions of interest” from five teams before three teams “subsequently submitted official applications”.

However, they found that there was a “reluctance amongst the existing Manufacturers to commit to making additional equipment available”, leading to the FIM withdrawing the grid slot.

KTM will, therefore, be the only team moving into the class next season, with the Austrian manufacturer already picking up Tech 3’s Bradley Smith to ride for them.

We could see another team join the paddock in 2018 however, as a bike may become available for a potential team to pick up.