Major restart change announced for 2026 MotoGP season

The FIM has announced that from the 2026 season riders in MotoGP and WorldSBK will not be allowed to restart their bikes from trackside after a crash.

Until now, the rules have allowed riders whose bike stopped running after a crash to try to restart it in the run-off area.

This, however, has the potential to create dangerous situations as it keeps marshals and riders in the run-off areas in the middle of a live session.

A new directive from the FIM has banned this, and says that attempts to restart a bike whose engine has stopped after the crash must take place behind the trackside barriers on the service road. 

Riders can still rejoin the track from there. 

In World Superbike practice and Superpole sessions, this means that riders can still ride back to the pits on the track, since WorldSBK prohibits riders from starting a new lap after a crash during those non-race sessions. In a race, they can continue without pitting.

In MotoGP, it means that riders are still able to continue in the session after a crash, just that they have to restart the bike from behind the trackside barriers and not in the run-off areas.

If a bike has remained running, the rider can rejoin, but the marshals are able to prevent them from rejoining if, on inspection of the bike, they deem it to have sustained damage which could cause a dangerous situation were it to rejoin the track, such as a fluid leak.

The regulation change from the FIM comes as a result of decisions made by the Grand Prix Commission and SBK Commission. It has been communicated in a letter addressed to circuit racing clerks of the course, national federations, race promoters, IRTA, and members of the circuit racing commission.

“After a crash or technical problem, any non-running machine on the track or in run-off areas must be taken immediately behind the first line of protection by the marshals,” the FIM letter reads.

“Machines must not be restarted on the track or run-off area. They must be moved to the service road (or in a safe and protected place in case of absence of service road), where assistance to restart may be provided.”

It adds that only riders can make “repairs or adjustments” to their bike after a crash, and that this must also take place behind the barriers. 

Marshals are still allowed to assist riders in restarting their bike, but this must also take place behind the barriers.

The FIM says this regulation update is intended to improve the safety of the marshals and has encouraged national federations to implement the same protocol, although it admits “that this rule may present some challenges initially, but the overriding reason is to minimise the exposure of our track marshals to danger.”

The rule is also applicable in all FIM-sanctioned circuit racing championships, not only MotoGP and WorldSBK, meaning also the FIM Endurance World Championship, for example.