Repsol Honda team principal Livio Suppo has called into question Ducati’s switch from Factory to Open class status for 2014, saying that if there are now works teams in the non-works class, and able to complete engine development work, the cost-savings of Open class look to be null and void.

Ducati took the step into Open status in order to be able to develop the GP14 away from engine development freeze of Factory rules and sacrifice the use of their own electronics for the spec Marelli ones, which seem to be getting more advanced by the day.

"As Honda, the position is clear. We understand that Ducati is behind, so they are trying everything to recover. For sure, the Open class rules allow them to work on the engine during the season; this is important for them, I understand,” said Suppo.

“On the other side, we are not so happy that – just a few days before the announcement of Ducati going Open – there was the introduction from Magneti Marelli of new software, which is much more complicated that the standard one of the Open class. I think this is something we need to speak about.

"At the end of the day, if the Open class has a Factory bike (competing in it), it will not be so cheap. I think that was the aim of the rule: to create a cheaper class. So I think we need to think about it. We need to understand - together with Dorna and the MSMA - if it was clear to everybody what the aim of this class was.

“Our understanding and I think it was the understanding of everybody was a class that was cheaper than the Factory bikes; now, with the interpretation of Ducati, it is not. So it is just a question of sitting down together to see what we want for the future."