Four riders will likely receive race time penalties in upcoming races after they were found to be in violation of the tyre pressure rules during the Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika.
MotoGP implemented official tyre pressure logging as the season resumed following the summer break. The new rule mandated riders to complete a specific amount of laps in both the sprint and the race with tyre pressures higher than the minimum set by Michelin, the manufacturer of the control tyres.
Riders did not appreciate this decision because they believe that the conditions of the race have a significant influence on front tyre pressure in particular. additionally, forcing riders to start the race with a higher front tyre pressure than they normally would pose the risk of rendering the bike unrideable at certain points in the race.
Maverick Vinales was the only rider that was found to be in violation over the first six races after the rule’s formal introduction. The Aprilia rider finished second in Catalunya MotoGP which was held in the first week of September.
However, in Indonesia, up to four riders unexpectedly found themselves in a similar situation.
These included the fifth-placed Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati), the tenth-placed Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), the thirteenth-placed Raul Fernandez (RNF Aprilia), and the fourteenth-placed Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha), who finished the race four laps behind the rest of the field.
The front soft tyre was utilized by all four riders in question. However, the violations do not affect the outcome of the race because the first violation of this new regulation only results in a warning.
The four riders now join Vinales in being on the receiving end for a single violation in case they breach the rules again this season considering the second infraction results in a three-second time penalty.
The fact that MotoGP has frequently said that its ultimate goal following the introduction of this regulation is to heighten it so that a tyre pressure infringement results in a disqualification – which currently ought to have resulted to only 10 classified finishers.
