From a press release issued by FIM:

May 21, 2003

Press Conference of the FIM President

A Press Conference was held today by FIM President Francesco Zerbi at the Hotel Crowne Plaza in Geneva, in the presence of the following persons: Messrs. Guy Maitre (FIM Chief Executive Officer), Leandro Scomazzon (representing Mr. Ivano Beggio, President of the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA), Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna CEO Managing Director), Maurizio Flammini (FGSport Chairman), Paolo Flammini (FGSport Chief Executive Officer), Claude Danis (FIM Road Racing Commission President, Circuit Inspector, Safety Officer in GP and SBK), Giuseppe Luongo (Youthstream President), Wolfgang Srb (FIM Motocross Commission President), Joan Cuscó (Octagon-Esedos President), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Trial Commission President), Oriol Puig Bulto (FIM International Technical Panel President) and Giancarlo Pasini (FIM International Environment Commission President).

During the Press Conference, Mr Zerbi notably stressed several issues concerning the leading role and the responsibility of the FIM, questions of safety and evolution of the rules, particularly the technical rules, as well as the collaboration with the promoters of the Championships:

“The FIM organises the World Championships with the help of its promoters. To all of them are given commercial and television rights, excluding every other right. Furthermore, they have the right to participate in the Commissions relating to their discipline and the Permanent Bureau of the respective World Championship. These Commissions are composed of a representative of the FIM, the promoter, the teams and the manufacturers. They can make suggestions to the Permanent Bureau formed by the FIM and the promoter for changes in the regulations that are considered necessary. If the Commission takes a unanimous decision, the Permanent Bureau approves it, otherwise it is the task of the Permanent Bureau to approve or disapprove such a decision. So the final decision is only taken by the FIM. This is done to make events: safer, more valid from the sporting point of view, more promotional, more interesting not only for the fans, more suitable to the interests of competitors, more spectacular.

“It is fundamental that the responsibility of managing these interests is assumed by the FIM in the same way as all the other International Federations which, whilst pursuing their own goals, must ensure that these goals never interfere or go against the main interests, which are safety and the sport itself.

“It is to be mentioned that the European Union, within the framework of the Nice agreements, recognises the exclusive competence of the International Sporting Federations to establish the rules concerning their sport.

“This is why the FIM has never abdicated or sold its right to establish the rules of the game; it has not done it nor could do it. Whenever the FIM intervenes in changing the rules it is done in the interest of everybody, though it may be seen to favour one or the other party.

“The manufacturers cannot do without the riders, the riders cannot do without the manufacturers, and none of them can do without television and sponsors. In this axiom, the FIM must assume the responsibility for regulating everybody’s interests. In so doing, the FIM continuously needs to seek the cooperation and professionalism of everyone concerned, while each party is expected to take on its own responsibility with no impositions nor presumptions. I insist on the fact that nobody can do without all the others.

“It may be damaging to think that one championship is more important than the others as well as it is damaging that one party wants to be more important than the others. For the sport and the FIM, the competitors or the fans, every discipline is as equally important as another even though each of them has its peculiarity and /or it is especially attractive to someone and less attractive to somebody else.

“This is the reason why the FIM will not allow any confusion or antagonism to occur among the different Championships: the Road Racing Grand Prix will remain as it is and it will develop in the field of prototypes that have nothing to do with the motorcycles that derive from the production series (Superbike) and production motorcycles (Supersport).

“FIM technicians, together with those appointed by the manufacturers, will work to make motorcycles safer. In this respect, the FIM will gather very shortly together the manufacturers and promoters concerned (Grand Prix and Superbike) for a brainstorming in order to discuss the new rules that will run the two Championships, bearing in mind the technological evolution but also, and principally, the safety aspects.

“Superbike rules must be more simple and less expensive, like the Superbike rules in force in the United States, Japan or Great Britain. But if the rules must be changed, it should be made without stopping the technological progress. Both Championships must be kept separate, improving their differences, but working together on the evolution of the rules.

“The FIM will continue to manage the motorcycling sport assuming the burden of such a responsibility, through its Commissions or through the Commissions and the Permanent Bureau established by contract with the promoters in order to represent all those who take part in the motorcycling sport. On the other hand, the FIM expects all the representatives, included the riders, to play a more active and responsible role as Franco Uncini has been doing for the riders in a responsible and professional way. He is also testifying to the efforts that the FIM is doing with the help of Claude Danis in supporting his justified requests for ensuring the highest standards of safety in the circuits suitable to the new increased power, speed and characteristics of motorcycles.

“In this respect, after receiving a specific request from the riders to approve the creation of a Commission formed by the riders themselves, the FIM officially declares today its approval and also declares to accept the riders chosen, namely Valentino Rossi, Sete Gibernau, Kenny Roberts and Nobuatsu Aoki, as representatives of this Commission. On the other hand, the FIM has established the Grand Prix Safety Commission, formed by the representatives chosen by the riders, by a manufacturer representative and by a promoter representative (Dorna). A FIM representative will coordinate the work of this Commission.

“Finally, regarding Motocross, the agreement between Dorna Off-Road and the FIM concerning the Motocross World Championship and the Motocross of Nations will be terminated on December 31 next.

“The new promoter as from January 2004 will be the company Youthstream. Youthstream is currently the promoter of the Supermoto World Championship and the Snowcross World Cup.

“Dorna will keep the rights for the Supercross World Championship.”