FIM introduces 'neutralisation' for wet/dry races.

The FIM Grand Prix Commission has issued a set of revised regulations ahead of the new bike racing season, primarily setting out the procedures for dealing with races interrupted by rain.

The FIM Grand Prix Commission has issued a set of revised regulations ahead of the new bike racing season, primarily setting out the procedures for dealing with races interrupted by rain.

The Commission, composed of chairman Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna), Claude Danis (FIM), Sito Pons (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), and held in the in the presence of secretary Paul Butler, voted unanimously on the new rules, which include the introduction of a neutralisation period for dry/wet races in the MotoGP class for the first time. As in Formula One and other car classes, a safety car, pit-stop window and rolling restart will now all apply to the senior category.

Rule 1.20 of the revised sporting regulations explains that a race classified as dry will be interrupted for both the 125cc and 250cc classes, but 'neutralised' in MotoGP should the race director consider that climatic conditions affecting the surface of the track make it likely that riders would want to change tyres. Races classified as wet from the start will not be interrupted, however, and riders wishing to change tyres must enter the pits and do so during actual race time. In all cases where the first race is interrupted or neutralised, the restart will automatically be deemed a wet race. According to circumstances, a MotoGP class race may be neutralised several times.

A white flag with diagonal red cross will be shown motionless at each flag marshal post during the neutralised period and riders will be expected to slow down with a safety car on track. Riders may enter the pit-lane at the end of the first full lap completed by the pace car, or may continue in line behind it. Overtaking the pace car is forbidden, as in other racing.

Once the safety car has left the pit lane it will complete one full lap, while the pit-lane exit will be closed. Riders who decide to complete one lap after the car has been deployed must prepare to catch up with it before, at the end of its lap, the safety car re-enters the pit-lane to confirm the closure of the track. All riders following the safety car must thus enter the pit-lane.

The car will stop approximately 50 metres beyond the exit of pit-lane, while riders are allowed to change tyres, refuel, make adjustments to, or even change, their machines.

If the race is neutralised before the last lap, a provisional race classification will be published. This will be taken at the last point where the leader and all other riders on the same lap had completed a full lap without the neutralisation flags being displayed. Riders already in the pit-lane can be classified, but those who have not completed 75 per cent of the leader's total laps will not.

If the race is neutralised on what is scheduled to be the final lap of an event, and at least one rider has completed the scheduled number of laps of the original race, the race classification will be calculated as in the principle set out in the exception in article 1.25.1 and race will not be resumed. If no rider has completed the scheduled number of laps, the race will be resumed according to new rules set out in article 1.28.

The race director will announce when the safety car is due to leave the pit-lane to resume the race, and the number of laps remaining will be deemed to be the difference between the scheduled number and those completed by the provisional race classification. If the difference is less than three, the number of laps to go will be three. In the case of more than one neutralisation, the number of laps to go will be the difference between the scheduled number and the number completed in all previous parts. Again, if the difference is less than three, there will be a maximum of three laps run.

Two minutes before the safety car leaves the pit-lane, the exit will be opened with green lights and flags to allow the riders to form up behind the safety car in the order of the provisional race classification. Only riders included in the latest provisional race classification may resume the race. Thirty seconds before the pace car leaves the pits, all riders should be ready to roll in the order of the provisional classification. Any riders remaining in the pit-lane at the time designated for the safety car to leave will resume the race from there.

At the end of its one lap, the safety car will re-enter the pit-lane, whilst the riders continue to circulate on track. The race will resume with a rolling start, signified by the waving of green flags on either side of the start line and the re-ignition of the green starting gantry lights. At that time, penalties may be imposed by the race director to punish riders not behind the rear wheel of the motorcycle in front of them, in a higher position than in the provisional classification, and lagging more than three seconds behind the rider in front. Once the last rider in the line has passed the pit-lane exit, all riders still in the race but not on track will be allowed to resume.

The final race classification will be established according to the position and the consolidated number of laps of each rider at the time he crossed the finish line at the end of the race.

In the junior classes, races will be stopped as in recent seasons. If three laps or more have been completed by the leader, but less than two-thirds of the scheduled distance run, the event will be re-started with the laps and times of the two races added together to arrive at a final result. If it is found impossible to resume the race, results will count at the point of interruption and half points awarded. If the results calculated show that two-thirds of the original race distance have been completed by the leader, the race will be deemed to have been completed and full points awarded.

Other rules agreed at the meeting included a slightly revised start procedure where riders must take up their positions with their front wheel up to or behind the front line and a jump start now defined just by the bike moving forward when the red lights are on. Previously, the rear of the bike crossing the line was used.

Minimum weights and fuel tank dimensions were also clarified.

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