The 2025 MotoGP season will be upon us within a few weeks. And while cost-saving regulations limit bike development for most of the motorcycle manufacturers, fuel suppliers are relishing the chance to chase even more performance in year two of the renewable fuels era.
2024 was a significant year for the fuel companies involved, which include French giant TotalEnergies. In line with the global shift towards environmentally-friendly technologies, a new mandate required MotoGP bikes to run with 40% non-fossil (renewable) fuels in their tanks from the first race.
The regulations, which also extend to Moto2 and Moto3, are part of a bigger plan for the categories to be running 100% non-fossil fuels from the 2027 season onwards but discussions to finalize regulations are still taking place.
Changing up the chemical mix to this extent may sound simple on paper, but it was a big challenge for the fuel suppliers involved. Particularly considering that MotoGP and WorldSBK are open fuel categories: compliance would have to be achieved whilst also staying ahead of the competition.
As TotalEnergies Motorsport Technical Manager Thomas Fritsch explains, getting ready for the big switch was hardly a quick job.
“We started to work on developing the MotoGP fuel around three years ago,” says Fritsch. “We really put a lot of energy into exploring new molecules for 2024.
“The biggest challenge, of course, was to find the right renewable molecule. One suitable for race bike engines. And when you think about new molecules, you always have to think about the supply. So, considering all that, it was one of our biggest achievements to see the fuel ready for the first races of 2024: Phillip Island for WorldSBK and Losail for MotoGP.
“Absolute reliability of the engine and the performance level were also a big part of the satisfaction there.”
While getting such revolutionary products to far-flung starting grids in solid working order was an achievement in itself, big strides were made through the season as feedback landed and the fuel was honed. How does Fritsch look back on that first year?
“It was quite challenging running 40% renewable fuels in both MGP and WSBK,” he says. “But all in all we’re happy with the season.
“We worked well and had great collaboration with our partners. The feedback from the teams was very important, not only on performance and consumption but also on power delivery, which can affect bike handling.”
The work certainly doesn’t stop here. 2024 was just the beginning of a long technical development journey as the categories move towards the even bigger changes coming in 2027.
“We won’t stop product development just because it fits current requirements. Just as a manufacturer tries to develop the bike to get every bit of performance, we do the same.
“We’re always trying to improve the fuels. So R&D work will continue, race after race, in order for us to be able to bring positive evolutions as quickly as possible.”
Far from being some kind of restrictive handbrake, Fritsch says the move towards renewables has translated to a technically exciting, innovative era for him and his team.
“To make the introduction of renewable molecules easier, they opened up the regulations a little bit. They opened some doors that had been closed for many years, lifting some restrictions around the fuel formulation. That was quite a game-changer during fuel development. And it meant a big step in terms of our technical formulas.”
Would he be willing to reveal a little more about those, perhaps?
“I won’t say too much about the technology because secret recipes come into play for the two bike championships! It’s not like in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) or Fanatec GT World Challenge, where we’re the exclusive fuel supplier and we can communicate what we’re doing. Here, we’re working purely with partners in a competitive situation.”
“What I can say, apart from it being 40% non-fossil, is that it’s very high-end technology. The best we can supply!”
Strictly speaking, that only goes for the MotoGP brew. WorldSBK machinery is a little less discerning – and budgets a touch less extravagant.
“MotoGP is a prototype engine, of course, while WorldSBK is a stock-based engine. So you have to be more versatile when it comes to WorldSBK. You also have to be a bit more careful about the price of the fuel.
“So while the WorldSBK fuel has resulted from all the testing we’ve done in MotoGP, it’s not exactly the same product.”
It’s all a little more nebulous than with Excellium Racing 100, the 100% sustainable fuel used in the aforementioned sportscar championships, which we know is made mainly from wine industry residues. But while we can’t share much about what’s in the secret sauce for top-drawer bike racing, Fritsch assures us that the fuel suppliers can still grab big gains in terms of both performance and sustainability credentials.
Making those gains first – and bringing them to everyday motorcyclists before the competition – is a primary reason TotalEnergies goes bike racing.
“We like to say that the track is our lab. It’s the place to do proofs of concepts for fuel. And that’s more the case than ever with these new MotoGP regulations.
“What we’ve developed is pure racing fuel, but it’s a core value for us that it’s road and industry relevant. We don’t want to make anything that’s too far away from everyday fuel. We really have faith in ‘track to road’ development.
“In fact, it’s the same people within our company developing race fuel and fuel for road application. This maximises the transfer of technology, and that’s a very good thing for our customers, whether in racing or on the road.”
While the links between racetrack and road technology are rarely disputed, what about those between developing race fuel for bikes as opposed to cars? Or, to be more accurate, the differences?
“Motorcycles are very interesting from a technical perspective,” reveals Fritsch. “Volumes are small and the engines are very high-end, so you can develop fuel in very small batches. You can use very prototype molecules and formulas.
“When making a fuel you need to analyse all the parameters. You need to have a good overview of the motor – and just by looking at that you can see the big difference between a car and a bike engine.
“With bikes, you have small capacity and very high revs, so it’s very different. If I compare MotoGP to WEC for example, a MotoGP engine revs two or three times higher. So you’re not looking at the same parameters when it comes to fuel.
“You’re looking at whether you have to maximise combustion performance, combustion speed, engine knocking, fuel consumption. There are also different needs between sprint and endurance races. And you’ve got naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines too.
“Maybe it’s more appropriate to make a comparison with F1. But even compared to F1, the bike engine revs way higher. The bike is naturally aspirated and F1 is turbo, and hybrid too. You don’t need the torque at the same moment.
“Ultimately, fuel requirements are all dependent on the type of engine, its usage and objectives.”
That last fact tells you all you need to know about why TotalEnergies embraces such a variety of motorsport categories, on both two wheels and four. There’s no better way for them to discover and develop different approaches to fuels that are kinder to our climate and the environment. And do so at the fastest possible speed!
