• The MotoGP Court of Appeals ruled that Ducati’s swingarm scoop was legal.

• It follows the protest logged by four manufacturers after the Qatar MotoGP race.

• The ruling means Andrea  Dovizioso keeps his win, points and lead in the championship table.

The MotoGP Court of Appeals has ruled that Ducati’s “scoop” attached the bottom of the swingarm as legal. The appendage was fitted to three Desmosedici GP19s at the Qatar MotoGP race.

Although the court only released their decision, they did not assign a reason to why or what data convinced them.

But it’s safe to assume that they found the device cools the rear tyre instead of providing extra aerodynamic downforce. Moving forward, Ducati is allowed to use the scop ONLY IF it’s fitted together with the front wheel spoilers.

The decision also means that Andrea Dovizioso keeps his Qatar win and points, while Ducati also retains their manufacturer points earned at that first round.

However, this may open up another problem: How will Dorna and FIM enforce that scoops used in the future, whether by Ducati or other manufacturers, DO NOT provide aerodynamic downforce?

In the meantime, we can expect a new round of regulations.

The issue came to light and became hotly debated after four manufacturers protested post-Qatar race. The four – Aprilia, Honda, KTM, Suzuki – were of the opinion that the scoop provided downforce to the Ducati’s swingarm to keep the rear tyre on the ground more often, aiding stability and prolonging tyre life. Therefore, it’s illegal as the scoop falls outside the set guideline for “aerobodies.”

Ducati, on the other hand, insisted that it only functions to direct air to the rear tyre and cooling it. The manufacturer had submitted the design to MotoGP Technical Director Danny Aldridge prior to the race. It was subsequently approved and memos were sent to all the teams.

Other manufacturers weren’t convinced, of course. Aprilia were vehement: They had earlier submitted the plans of such a device earlier to the Technical Director but was rejected along the aerobody rules.

They logged their protest after the race, but their complaints were thrown out, thereby it was referred to MotoGP’s Court of Appeals.