MotoGP race direction to review start regulations after COTA chaos

Americas GP start chaos was triggered♐ by riders swapping bikes

2025 MotoGP Americas Grand Prix
2025 MotoGP Americas Grand Prix
© Gold and Goose

MotoG🎀P’s race direction will review the rules surrounding the start procedure in changeable conditions following the chaos at the Americas Grand Prix, a report says.

Th🎃e start of the Americas Grand Prix was deemed wet, meaning riders could swap bikes at any time during the race if conditions changed.

Though most went to the grid on wet tyres, trac🌼k conditiꦬons had improved to the point where slicks became the correct rubber to be on for the start.

Just seconds before the warm-up lap, polesitter 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Marc Marquez bolted off the grid to grab his dry bike, with🧸 a mass 🦋of riders following him into pitlane.

If more than 10 riders leave the grid, the rules state that the start will be aba൩ndoned on safety grounds.

This is what hap🐭pened at COTA, though there remains doubt that 10 riders did actua𝓀lly leave the grid.

Numerous behind-the-scenes videos issued in the days after the race r♛evealed that confusion reigned over the exact wording of the regulations in regards to pre-race bike swaps.

The rules state that if a rider comes off the grid prior to the start of the warm-up lap to change tyres, they will retake their original grid position and serve a ride-through p🗹enalty in the race.

Read more: Marc Marquez's COTA MotoGP grid gamble: Wrong reasons, right decision?

The Ducati camp knew what would cause a start to be delayed, but didn’t actually know what the rule was if the start wasn’t postponed - meaning Marquez, as well as eventual race winner 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pecco Bagnaia, would have gotten a penalty otherwise.

The regulations over changing bikes before race starts were altered after the 2018 Argentina GP, after all but 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Jack Miller 𒊎elected to leave the grid to swap tyres having gotten their initial choice wrong.

On that day, Miller was allowed to start from pole, while the rest were lined up in grid order but four rows back in a bizarreꦍ scene.

In an interview with Motorsport.com, race direc🦂tor Mike Webb has clarified that his actions were to effec🅺tively restart the starting procedure - as delaying the start would have led to an “unfeasible” Argentina 2018 repeat.

He has also confirmed that the regulations will be revieweꩵd to avoid a re♈peat of what happened at COTA.

“What happened in Austin is unprecedented, but it will lead us to review p🍎arts of the regulations - mainly to simplify them so that everyone involved understands them clearly,” Webb said.

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