Aprilia rider warns of penalty risk amid MotoGP start safety push

The mid-season rule changes related to MotoGP starts will result in “too many penalties”, Raul Fernandez thinks.

The Czech MotoGP last weekend (19–21 June) saw the riders doing practice starts without the front start device engaged as the championship tried to evaluate if starting without the front devices would increase race start safety after major incidents at both the Catalan and Hungarian grands prix.

After the race last weekend it was confirmed by the Grand Prix Commission that from this weekend’s Dutch TT (26–28 June) the front start devices will be banned, and that from the German Grand Prix (10-12 July) the spacing between rows on the grid will be increased to try to improve start safety.

Trackhouse Aprilia rider Fernandez, though, thinks that the long lap penalty Izan Guevara received at the start of the Moto2 Hungarian Grand Prix will be repeated in MotoGP as riders wheelie off the line and veer left or right as they pull away.

“Well, in Brno we start to make some start with no device, the front one,” said Raul Fernandez.

“It was quite strange because for sure we will arrive with less speed in the first corner, but I think it's not 100 per cent safe.

“If you see what happened with Izan [Guevara, in Moto2]] in Hungary with the wheelie on the straight that he received a penalty, you will see too many penalties because with no device in the front part of the bike the wheelie is easier. 

“So, you will see that on the first two, three races that we will not use this one we will have too many wheelies and you will see too many changes of direction. Maybe it is even worse.

“About the grid space, I think it can be a good option.

“But I don't really understand the device, because if you have to remove, for me you have to remove both, not just one. 

“But I know it's quite difficult in the middle of the year to change many things on the bike.”