MotoGP abandons disqualification for riders breaking tyre pressure rule

Last year saw a new minimum tyre pressure set that all riders had to adhere to for 30% of a sprint race and 50% of a grand prix, with the regulation mandated from the British Grand Prix onwards following a period of development for the new Tyre Pressure Management System.

The penalties for breaking this rule were handed out on a sliding scale from a warning for a first offence followed by a three-second time penalty.

For 2024, any rider who broke this rule was set to face instant disqualification.

However, Autosport understands that this season such a drastic measure has been replaced by time penalties, which will be added at the end of the races.

If the offence takes place during Saturday’s sprint, an extra eight seconds will be added, while if the violation occurs on Sunday in the grand prix the penalty will be 16 seconds.

Last year, Michelin saw fit to introduce the limit on minimum tyre pressures for safety reasons.

The initial roadmap stated that the first grand prix would be used to monitor the pressures, but that offenders would not be penalised until the Spanish GP at round four.

Finally, the penalties were not implemented until Silverstone, after the summer break, with the first sanction coming in Barcelona, in early September, with Maverick Vinales the first to fall foul of the new rules.

Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio would lose a podium at the Valencia Grand Prix to the rule for a repeat offence.

The rule proved controversial for riders, who felt particularly that the 1.88 bar minimum front tyre pressure offered to narrow a window for the tyre to work safely.

A few weeks ago, Michelin agreed to the demands from the riders asking for the minimum front compound pressure to be lowered slightly.

The French supplier agreed to go from 1.88 bar to 1.8 bar, but in exchange asked for an increase in the time riders must stay within this to 60% of a grand prix.