MotoGP updates start procedure rules after COTA chaos

New penalties have been added to the MotoGP rulebook for not following the standard start procedure.

The changes come this year’s Grand Prix of the Americas, where Marc Marquez made a late dart to the pit lane to change bikes, a number of other riders followed him, and the start was delayed because of safety concerns generated by the situation.

After the race, footage emerged from MotoGP.com that showed Marc Marquez planning his late change with crew chief Marco Rigamonti and Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi, with Marquez coming under the impression that, if the start was not delayed, he would be forced to start from the back of the grid if he changed bikes before the warm-up lap but would not receive a long lap penalty.

MotoGP Race Director Mike Webb clarified soon afterwards that Marquez would have received a double long lap penalty had the race start gone ahead.

This has now been clarified in the regulations, which now specifically state a double long lap penalty will be issued to a rider for potential cases that either disrupt the start procedure or in which the rider is not following the start procedure.

In these cases it is also specified that the rider will start the warm-up lap from the pit lane and take their published grid position before the start of the race.

These cases include:

• Riders who do not go onto the grid after the pit lane has opened for the sighting lap;

• Riders who push their bike from the grid into pit lane after the three-minute board is shown at the front of the grid

Additionally, in only the MotoGP class, riders can enter pit lane at the end of the warm-up lap if the race has been declared wet or if the white flag is displayed by marshals during the warm-up lap to change tyres or bikes. There is no penalty for this, but riders must start from pit lane, where it is now clarified that – in addition to launch control electronics – start devices cannot be used when starting the race from pit lane.

Further, riders who push their bike from the grid to pit lane within one minute of the start of the warm-up lap because they are not able to start the warm-up lap will also be given a double long lap penalty. However, they will only start the race from their published grid position if they are able to exit pit lane before it is closed after the commencement of the warm-up lap, and if they reach the grid before the safety car. If they do not exit pit lane before it’s closed, they will start from pit lane.

Finally, if there is a situation where more than 10 riders will start the race from pit lane, the start will be cancelled and a new start procedure will commence under the quick start procedure rules.

The start procedure updates were one of two amendments made by to the regulations by the Grand Prix Commission, who also confirmed that injures riders will be able to test before returning to a race weekend.