For quite a while, official Honda riders had gotten into the habit of starting directly from their box during practice sessions, instead of starting their bikes in the pit lane then getting on and going, as is the case. do most other competitors. Recently, some, still at Honda and KTM, had followed suit…
In 2019, this maneuver which involves starting perpendicular to the axis of the track will be prohibited, and this is only one point of the many changes decided during the last Grand Prix Commission, of which we propose below our translation of his report.
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, President), Paul Duparc (FIM), Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) and Mike Trimby (IRTA), in the presence of Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Corrado Cecchinelli (Technology Director ), Mike Webb (Race Director) and Danny Aldridge (Technical Director), took the following decisions at a meeting held in Madrid on April 30, November 2018:
Sporting regulations – Effective immediately
Race rankings
Previously, to be classified, the driver had to be in contact with his machine when crossing the finish line. There have been situations where, following a crash, the rider and the machine crossed the line separately. In the future, the finishing time will be determined by the first part of the rider or his motorcycle, whichever crosses the finish line last.
Replacement drivers
It happens that a Moto3 or Moto2 team replaces an injured rider with another rider who has committed to participating in another Championship, for example in FIM CEV. In the future, these drivers will be allowed to fulfill their obligations in other competitions, and on-track activity during these events will not count as test days for Grands Prix and may take place in the 14 days preceding an event. GP on the same circuit.
Classified drivers who can resume an interrupted race
In order to establish clearer criteria regarding which drivers can resume an interrupted race, certain clarifications to the regulations have been approved. It is confirmed that drivers can obtain assistance from track marshals to restart the machine or to move it on the track, at the edge of the track or on the service road.
Regarding the regulations in this area, “active” and “actively in competition” means driving on the track, attempting to repair/restart your machine, rejoining the track or returning to the pit lane. . The FIM MotoGP stewards will be the only judges to decide whether a rider actively participates in the competition and these judgments are not subject to appeal.
Overtaking under a yellow flag
When a change of position penalty is imposed for overtaking under a yellow flag, or for any other infraction, information will be communicated via the dashboard display and at the finish line for a maximum of three laps. (Previously five rounds).
Starters
For safety reasons, it is not permitted to start the engine of a racing motorcycle inside the box at any time. Engines must be started in the pit lane.
Official titles of circuit lap record and race lap record
New official titles have been approved for the following circuit records:
“All Time Lap Record” – The fastest lap time in history, including all Grand Prix sessions.
“Best Race Lap” – The fastest lap time in history achieved in a race.
Concession Points – MotoGP Category
When a manufacturer obtains enough concession points to lose the concessions, the right for test drivers to test at any GP circuit is revoked. The regulations have been clarified to specify that this applies to testing for the following season, when the manufacturer must designate three GP circuits to conduct its testing on.
So that a manufacturer who has only accumulated concession points exceptionally does not lose concessions after several years, it has been decided that the concession points will expire two years after the anniversary date on which they were obtained.
Generators used on the starting grid
Currently, regulations limit use to a hand-held generator with a maximum power of 2 kW. Current practice is for generators to be incorporated into a service cart along with tool boxes, spare wheels and other equipment.
As a result, the current rule has been rescinded and the Technical Director will now be responsible for determining the acceptability of the generator cart/equipment introduced onto the starting grid.
Technical Regulations – Effective immediately
Technical regulations for the Moto2 category
To take into account the change of engine supplier from Honda to Triumph, the technical regulations for this category have been amended. All details will be available in the coming days in the official regulations published online by the FIM.
Tire distribution
After consultation with the Safety Commission and official tire suppliers, the following changes have been made to the allocation of tires:
MotoGP category
The standard wet tire allocation will increase from 11 to 13, or six front tires and seven rear tires.
Moto3 and Moto2 categories
In these categories, the number of rain tires is not limited. However, the official supplier must now have a minimum of four sets of rain tires per driver.
Disciplinary Regulations – Effective immediately
Penalties not subject to appeal
The Disciplinary Code contains a list of sanctions which are not subject to appeal, generally sanctions imposed during a race. However, FIM Stewards may also impose a time penalty in lieu of another penalty, usually when the standard penalty (e.g. change of position, passing through the pit lane, etc.) cannot be respected because there is not enough time left in the race. The regulations covering these issues have been amended so that when a time penalty is imposed instead of a non-appealable penalty, the time penalty also becomes non-appealable.
