Every MotoGP season produces several key moments where a result hinges on a track limits decision. This occurs when a rider goes outside the designated area of the race track and either by mistake or intentionally gains an advantage, in terms of time or race position.

When a rider exceeds the track limits in practice or qualifying their lap time is cancelled. If a rider exceeds the track limits in a race, there may be no penalty at all if they did not gain any advantage, for example in cases where they are forced wide to avoid a crash.

Or if they did gain an advantage during a race they might be penalised with a position swap or a long lap penalty depending on the exact circumstances, with the specific penalty dictated by the FIM MotoGP Stewards.

Those officials monitor the track limits constantly during Grand Prix weekends, aided by cutting-edge technology, including cameras, sensors and timing devices.

For fans watching these moments unfold, understanding exactly what the rules say and how tightly they are enforced makes the difference between confusion and comprehension of an important technical aspect of MotoGP racing. This is the complete guide to track limits in MotoGP: what they are, where they apply, how violations are detected and what the penalties are.

WHAT ARE TRACK LIMITS IN MOTOGP?

Track limits are defined as the boundary of the designated racing surface of a MotoGP circuit. The rules of MotoGP state that the curbs (except double curbs) are part of the designated track racing area, so touching or riding on a standard curb is not a track limits violation.

Double curbs and any green painted areas connected to and outside of the curbs are considered outside the track limits. A track limits violation is recorded when both tyres are simultaneously outside the track limits.

Contact with the boundary line is not a MotoGP track limits rules violation: similar to the rule in tennis, any contact with the boundary line is considered "in".

Let’s take a look at where track limits in MotoGP are specifically mentioned in the rules of MotoGP, known formally as the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations:

• All laps of the riders will be timed. For both practice and race, the lap time is the subtraction of the time between two consecutive crossings of the plane of the finish line indicated by the line painted on the track, within the confines of the circuit first line of protection.
• In case the rider is not in contact with the machine, the finish time is determined by the first part of the rider or machine to cross the finish line, whichever arrives last.
• In all cases, any infractions including but not limited to track limits and advantage gained will be taken into account when determining the validity of the lap.
• Riders should use only the track and the pit-lane. However, if a rider accidentally leaves the track then they may rejoin it at the place indicated by the officials or at a place which does not provide an advantage to them.
• Advantage may be deemed to be gained, including by exceeding track limits and short-cutting as detailed in the Race Direction protocols. Any infringement of this rule during the practices or warm up will be penalised by the cancellation of the lap time concerned and during the race, by a penalty decided by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel.
• A time penalty may be imposed in place of another penalty where necessary. Further penalties may also be imposed, including cancellation of a lap for missing a significant portion of the track during a rejoin, as defined by the FIM MotoGP Stewards.

Exceeding track limits will result in the cancellation of a lap time in practice or qualifying, whilst in a race a rider can be advised to drop positions to offset any advantage gained and/or could be given a Long Lap Penalty. The Long Lap Penalty in MotoGP requires the rider to take a longer route through a designated section of the circuit, losing time compared to the normal racing line.

 If they repeatedly ignore a penalty from exceeding the track limits they can be given a 'Ride through' or time penalty.

Penalties imposed during a race are officially communicated to the rider via dashboard signals, and to the team via Timekeeping and television monitors. The team may also display a physical sign board for their rider if they wish.

The following Dashboard Display Signals text messages (TEXT in the table below) are displayed, combined with a yellow light or lights (flashing or steady).

Our illustrative table here shows only those Dashboard Display Signals relevant to track limits violations:

How does MotoGP monitor and detect track limit violations?

Track limits are monitored by dedicated cameras with image recognition software, whilst multiple human operators also monitor the footage in real time aided by sensors and timing devices.

The cameras used for track limits monitoring are not always the same cameras used in the international TV broadcasts, so something not visible to fans at home may still be clearly captured by the monitoring system.

All decisions regarding track limits are the sole responsibility of the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel and a clear image must be available to the Stewards in order to issue a penalty. If the footage is not conclusive, no penalty is issued.

Decisions by the Stewards Panel are final, there is no possibility of protest or appeal on track limits decisions.

Mike Webb, Race Direction Coordinator, explains: “We have a monitoring system with sensors on the track, with cameras, and people dedicated in race control checking track limits. We focus on the places where a rider can gain advantage by going outside of the track to make a faster line. There are rules that are quite simple, but there are different circumstances. So during practice and qualifying, any track limit triggered by our sensor or our cameras, the lap is canceled. So in practice and qualifying, your lap time is canceled for track limits.”

Webb continues: “In the race, there's a situation where we allow a certain number of mistakes. The criteria during a race is, is there advantage gained or not? So if a rider goes out during the race and clearly loses a position or time, that is a disadvantage, so it's not counted because the penalty is going out. They lost something. If a rider goes out and clearly gains something, maybe passes another rider or gains a lot of time by going out, it's an advantage gained. Automatic penalty, immediate. It doesn't matter how many times. Immediate because you gained something.”

MotoGP track limit violations in practice and qualifying - what happens?

If a rider exceeds track limits during any practice or qualifying session, the sector time for that section of the lap is cancelled and therefore their overall lap time is cancelled. This applies in Free Practice, Practice, Q1 and Q2.

Also, if a rider exceeds track limits but loses time as a result, the incident is NOT recorded and no penalty is issued, the track limits rules are designed to penalise advantage gained, not penalise riders who are already at a disadvantage.

The lap cancellation rule has significant consequences in qualifying. A fastest lap set with a track limits violation is deleted, which can cost a rider pole position or a front-row grid slot. This is one of the most common and high-profile track limits situations fans see.

However if there is still enough time left in the session they of course can continue to ride and set another fast lap time.

In this video, MotoGP Race Director Mike Webb explains exactly what happens when a rider exceeds track limits.

Exceeding Track limits in MotoGP Race - the penalty system

Exceeding the track limits during a race sometimes results in no penalty at all and at other times leads to specific penalties, depending on the circumstances.

The cumulative system:

•   Individual track limits violations during a race are tracked cumulatively
•   After three violations: a "Track Limits Warning" message is sent directly to the rider's dashboard
•   After five violations: a Long Lap Penalty is issued automatically. This is communicated via a dashboard message to the rider AND a signal board at the side of the track.

The clear advantage system (separate from the cumulative system):

•   If the FIM MotoGP Stewards judge that a rider gained a clear advantage from a single track limits violation - regardless of how many previous violations they have - a penalty can be issued for that single incident alone
•   These single-incident penalties are not counted in the cumulative five-violation system - they are separate
•   Penalties for a single clear advantage can include: Change of Position, Time Penalty, or Long Lap Penalty
•   If the rider voluntarily gives back the advantage immediately after the incident, a penalty may be avoided

First lap special rules:

•   Track limits violations are not recorded on the first lap of a race
•   At Turn 1 specifically, track limits are not recorded either, due to the high risk of riders being pushed wide at the start
•   However: any clear advantage gained is ALWAYS penalised, including on the first lap. The exception only applies to undetermined violations, not to clear advantage situations.

Last lap special rules:

•   For riders closely contesting a position, any track limits violation on the last lap that the FIM MotoGP Stewards judge to have affected the race result must be shown to have clearly disadvantaged the other rider
•   This prevents riders from exploiting track limits to gain a position in the final metres of a race

Bill Cumbow, former FIM MotoGP Steward, comments: “During races, during the first two laps, the track limits are monitored. However, they are not penalised due to clear reasons that all the riders are in a large group. As the race goes on in the event that it is not determined that there was a clear advantage, that it was a particularly slow section or a mistake, then the track limits are counted as track limit incidents.”

“After several track limit incidents, a warning is sent to the rider via the dashboard messaging. And if in fact the incidents continue, then there's a penalty issued. During the last one or two laps, if a rider is involved in a track limit to defend a position or to gain a position, then the penalty could be issued after the race as a change in position in the results.”

What if a rider is forced off track by another rider?

Allowances are made for riders who are forced beyond track limits by another rider. Again this is circumstantial and the key point is whether the rider who went wide gained an advantage or lost time/position as a result.

If a rider is forced wide and loses position or time, no violation is recorded. If a rider is forced wide but still gains an advantage, a penalty may still be issued, as the cause does not automatically excuse the outcome. These situations are assessed on a case by case basis by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel.

The key takeaways for fans on MotoGP track limits

Track limits rules in MotoGP are designed around one principle; preventing riders from gaining an unfair advantage by going beyond the defined racing surface. Meanwhile, FIM MotoGP Stewards do not penalise riders who simply make a mistake and lose time as a result.

The technology behind enforcement of the rules has evolved significantly, making the system more consistent than ever. This technology and the diligent work of the eagle-eyed Stewards has helped make the racing in the most exciting sport on earth fairer and closer than ever.

Q: What are track limits in MotoGP?
A: Track limits in MotoGP define the boundary of the legal racing surface. Curbs are part of the track, but double curbs and green painted areas beyond curbs are outside track limits. A violation is recorded only when both of a rider's tyres are simultaneously outside the track limits. Any contact with the boundary line itself is not a violation.

Q: What happens if a MotoGP rider exceeds track limits in qualifying?
A: If a rider exceeds track limits during qualifying, the sector time for that part of the lap is cancelled, which automatically cancels the entire lap time. A fastest lap set with a track limits violation is deleted from the timing sheets.

Q: How many track limit violations before a penalty in MotoGP?
A: During a race, a rider receives a dashboard warning after three track limit violations. After five violations, a Long Lap Penalty is automatically issued. Additionally, if a rider gains a clear advantage from a single violation, a penalty can be issued immediately regardless of their violation count.

Q: What is a Long Lap Penalty in MotoGP?
A: A Long Lap Penalty requires the rider to take a longer route through a designated section of the circuit, losing time compared to the normal racing line. It is used as a penalty for track limits violations, as well as for other infringements during a race. The rider is notified via their dashboard and a trackside signal board.

Q: Can MotoGP riders be penalised for track limits on the first lap?
A: Individual track limits violations are not recorded on the first lap of a race, and Turn 1 is also excluded from recording on lap one due to the risk of riders being pushed wide at the start. However, any clear advantage gained is still penalised - the exception applies only to undetermined violations, not to situations where a rider clearly benefits.

Q: Who decides MotoGP track limit penalties?
A: All track limits decisions are the sole responsibility of the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel. The decisions are final and cannot be protested or appealed. Violations are confirmed by dedicated monitoring cameras and image recognition software - separate from the TV broadcast cameras.