Safety Commission
Every Friday of each Grand Prix weekend the MotoGP™ Safety Commission holds a meeting in which riders and officials convene to discuss and enhance safety measures within the World Championship. Most of the MotoGP riders attend and it's like an open forum. For more information check out our MotoGP™ Safety Features Explainer on how riders stay safe in Grand Prix racing.
Sighting lap
The lap that riders undertake from the pit lane to the starting grid to get their position, approximately 20 minutes before the race start. On the starting grid the riders and their teams carry out their final preparations for the race, before completing the Warm Up lap just prior to the race start.
Slipstream
When a rider ‘drafts’ behind another rider, they are in the slipstream, taking advantage of the reduced air resistance in the area behind the rider ahead. Behind another rider, your own air resistance is lesser as they've already punched a hole in the air you're both riding through. Riders use this tactic to reduce drag and therefore help to improve a lap time in practice or qualifying, or in order to set up an overtake in a race.
Starting grid
The starting grid is the area where riders line up to start the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix races. Starting grids are structured in the same way at each circuit on the start-finish straight. The starting grid comprises rows, with three riders lining up per row. The riders on each row are arranged at intervals, with the fastest in qualifying starting in front. Each row is separated by a gap of nine metres. The riders contest the positions on the starting grid in qualifying (two sessions called Q1 and Q2) with the very fastest rider in Q2 getting the ‘pole position’ in first place on the grid.
Start-finish straight
The riders start and finish races on a long straight stretch of track called the start-finish straight. This usually has a Grandstand on one side and the pit lane on the other side. The pit wall separates the start-finish straight from the pit lane, where the teams’ pit boxes (garages) are located. On the pit wall the teams use pit boards to communicate messages to riders during sessions and races as they ride along the start-finish straight. Races commence races on the starting grid on the start-finish straight and the sight of the riders blasting off heading down the straight to the first corner is always spectacular. As the riders cross the finish line on the start-finish straight at the end of the race they see the chequered flag being waved.
Substitute rider
When a full-time rider on the MotoGP grid is unable to compete their team will field a substitute rider for one or more events. In fact, the teams in MotoGP™ are obliged by the rules to select a replacement (substitute) rider for the upcoming Grands Prix should a full-time rider be deemed unfit. Teams are granted a 10-day window to choose a rider ahead of the next GP on the calendar.
Suspension
Suspension in MotoGP is one of the most crucial aspects of the motorcycle to get right for maximising performance and comfort. Suspension components are split into front and rear, with front forks and a rear shock. The front fork comprises two cylindrical tubes that, simply put, utilise a combination of springs and oil to provide support and damping. The same can be said for the rear shock. However, the rear shock is a singular unit. Suspension in MotoGP is crucial and its adjustability is what makes it equally genius and difficult to get right. Suspension components can be fine tuned through spring rates, low and high speed compression damping, low and high speed rebound damping with many further adjustment options possible. All in all, suspension affects the way the tyres interact with the track surface and getting that right is the key to maximising grip, limiting tyre wear and ultimately winning or losing a race.
Swingarm
The swingarm is a critical chassis component on a racing motorcycle. It connects the main frame to the rear wheel. The swingarm pivots in a controlled manner around a point on the chassis called the swingarm pivot due to its connection with the rear shock. Because of this, the swingarm has to stand up to a huge amount of force and so its strength in terms of its flex and stiffness characteristics are a main point of consideration in its design to provide maximum grip and performance.
Teams
In MotoGP™ there are Factory teams and Independent teams. The five Factory teams in MotoGP represent the competing manufacturers in Grand Prix racing and they are Aprilia Racing, Ducati Lenovo Team, Honda HRC Castrol, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. The non-factory teams in the World Championship are referred to as Independent Teams, typically one step removed from the manufacturer and operating by buying or leasing the bikes from the factories. Most now have very close relationships with the factory teams, however, and share data and have engineers from the manufacturers as part of their team.
Tissot Sprint
Run over approximately 50% of the full race distance, the Tissot Sprint became a welcome new addition to the Grand Prix schedule on Saturday afternoons as of the beginning of the 2023 season. Sprint points are allocated at roughly half of those awarded in the full Grand Prix race, with the top nine finishers scoring points. In anticipation of Sunday’s full-distance Grand Prix, the Sprint gives fans a thrilling Saturday afternoon hit of racing action, delivering high-adrenaline racing and impacting the battle for the World Championship. For further information see our full guide on the subject of 'How Does a MotoGP™ Sprint Race Work?'
Top Speed
The outright top speed record in MotoGP™ is 366.1km/h (227.5mph), set by Brad Binder in the Tissot Sprint at Mugello in 2023 on a KTM and equalled by Pol Espargaro in Practice at the same track in 2024, also on a KTM. That speed is approximately three times quicker than the permitted speed limit on the road in many countries (we know, Germany, we know). Top speed is not the ultimate goal of the riders, teams and manufacturers in MotoGP, as they are more focused on quick lap times and high average speeds to win races. But it often helps!
Tyre allocation
At each Grand Prix an allocation of 22 slick tyres are available per rider specifically:
10 front slick tyres in total, comprised of:
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up to a maximum of 5 of specification A
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up to a maximum of 5 of specification B
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up to a maximum of 5 of specification C
12 rear slick tyres in total, comprised of:
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7 of specification A and
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5 of specification B
Meanwhile at each Grand Prix there is an allocation per rider of 13 rain tyres available, specifically, six front rain tyres in total (of two specifications) and seven rear rain tyres in total (of two specifications).
Tyre specification
The specification of tyres in MotoGP refers to the ‘hardness’ of the compound composition of the tyres. The official tyre supplier will determine which tyres are suitable for each event and they have many different compound compositions but they bring only certain specifications to each Grand Prix based on the characteristics of the track. Specification A is the softer option (higher immediate grip level, less durability), specification B is the harder option (lower immediate grip level, higher durability). Depending on the circuit and conditions, specification A may be soft or medium, and specification B may be medium or hard. So the tyre supplier decides which specifications are brought to each event: soft and medium, medium and hard, or soft and hard.
Warm Up
The Warm Up is a 10 minute session for the MotoGP riders on a Sunday morning in which they make their final on track preparations for the afternoon’s Grand Prix race.
Warm up lap
The term Warm Up lap is used to describe the non-timed lap of the circuit that the riders undertake just prior to the start of the Tissot Sprint on Saturday and the full Grand Prix race on Sunday.
Wet race
If the track is wet due to rainfall, a wet race can be declared prior to the start. When the race is declared wet before the start riders and their teams will consider whether or not to use rain tyres, depending on how wet the track is. Meanwhile, the flag-to-flag rule stipulates that if a race is declared as wet before the start, or if white flags are shown during the race to indicate the presence of rainfall, then the riders are allowed to swap bikes during the race. That means that if conditions change, the race doesn't stop.
Wild card
A wild card in MotoGP is a "guest" rider who is invited to participate in a Grand Prix. Each factory taking part in MotoGP is allowed three wildcard entries during a season – six for manufacturers who have concessions. Wild cards play a crucial role in the development process for manufacturers, giving test riders the opportunity to try out new parts and settings during a Grand Prix weekend.
Wheelie
A wheelie is the term used to refer to the front wheel of the bike being lifted up, often spectacularly, whilst the rear wheel remains on the ground. Wheelies sometimes occur without the rider wanting them to, as the sheer force of the bike’s acceleration lifts the front end, but riders typically want to avoid this as they have more control and stability with both wheels on the ground. Wheelies are often also seen in MotoGP when the riders are entertaining the fans, particularly in post-race celebrations.
WorldSBK
The Motul FIM Superbike World Championship – known as WorldSBK - features production-based racing motorcycles in an exciting 12 round annual series which was founded in 1988. Whilst MotoGP features cutting edge prototype motorcycles which are only built for racing and cannot be purchased for road use, WorldSBK bikes are based on standard road models, with certain modifications allowed for racing. Those modifications relate to brakes, engine management, engine parts, exhaust system and suspension upgrade, though ultimately WorldSBK riders race on production-based machines that fans can compare to their own road models.