Ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the Grand Prix Commission composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Paul Duparc (FIM), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), assisted by Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Mike Trimby (IRTA) and Corrado Cecchinelli (Director of Technology), in various electronic meetings held on June 12, 2018, made several decisions regarding Qualifying tyre allocations, testing restrictions and airbag regulations for the MotoGP™ class.
Tyres for MotoGP™ Qualifying
Previously, riders who progressed from Q1 into Q2 were allocated an extra rear tyre for the session. Now, the riders who participate in both Qualifying sessions will be allocated an extra front tyre of their preferred specification, as well as the extra rear tyre.
In the event of the Qualifying sessions being declared wet by Race Direction, the extra allocated tyres will of course be rain tyres. Meanwhile, if Q1 and Q2 happen to be different weather conditions, then no extra tyres will be allocated to the riders.
Test restrictions for the MotoGP™ class
Due to the increasing number of rounds on the calendar, the willingness to reduce costs and the workload of team and technical supplier staff, the MotoGP™ teams already agreed to decrease the number of testing days permitted for contracted riders.
The Grand Prix Commission and the teams have now agreed to further testing reductions that will become effective in the 2018/2019 testing season. This means the maximum testing programme with contracted riders in teams not benefiting from concessions will be:
- Two-day official test in Valencia following the final GP of 2018
- Two-day official test at Jerez in late November 2018
- Three-day official test at Sepang in early February 2019
- Three-day official test at Losail approximately two weeks before the 2019 Grand prix at that circuit
- Three, one-day official tests on Mondays after 2019 events. Venues to be confirmed after publication of the calendar
- One, two-day official test at a circuit in Europe during the season. Venue to be confirmed after publication of the calendar. (As per existing rules this test may not be within 14 days prior to the event at the same circuit and not during the test ban period)
Rider airbag regulations
At the start of this season, it's compulsory for every rider to start each session with a fully functioning airbag within their race leathers. However, wild card and replacement/substitute riders were exempt from this rule in their first two events of the season.
However, after Mugello, the Grand Prix Commission have made the following changes after consulting the medical staff and clothing manufacturers:
Wild card riders
With immediate effect: all MotoGP™ class wild card riders must comply with the current airbag regulations, meaning they must start each session with a fully functioning airbag system.
With effect from the Austrian GP: all Moto2™ and Moto3™ wild card riders must comply with the current airbag regulations for contracted riders, meaning they also have to start every session with a fully functional airbag system.
Substitute or replacement riders
It will be compulsory for any substitute or replacement riders to have an airbag system from the second event in which the rider participates.
Clarification of MotoGP™ FP4, Q1 and Q2 sessions
Due to the limited time available between FP4, Q1 and Q2, these three sessions are treated as one track session. This means that the above regulation is not enforced for the start of Q1 and/or Q2 for any rider that may have crashed in the previous session.
MotoGP™ wild card entries
In addition, Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) and Stefan Bradl (HRC) have been accepted as wild card entries for the San Marino GP.