What is a wildcard in MotoGP and why is it used?

The 2023 MotoGP season had six riders enter selected grands prix as a wildcard entry, which is a concept that has a long history in the series.

It dates back to the early years of grand prix motorcycling, when teams would enter a local rider for the race due to their greater knowledge of the circuit.

Steve Manship is one of the best wildcard entries in history, as the Briton finished second at the 1978 British Grand Prix which was his only race that year.

But over time, the wildcard system has evolved so what does it mean now and how do teams use it across the season?

What is a wildcard in MotoGP?

A MotoGP wildcard is a rider who enters a grand prix despite not being a full-time competitor for the season. In the modern day, if a team was to use a wildcard then it tends to enter its test rider despite the championship’s history of local riders entering a grand prix.

Why would a MotoGP team enter a wildcard?

Many benefits come from MotoGP teams entering a wildcard as it increases track time, which is important because there are only nine official testing days during the year meaning feedback from the rider can prove crucial for bike development.

But it is rare for teams to use all of its wildcard slots in a season, as Yamaha only entered test rider Cal Crutchlow for one race – the Japanese GP – in 2023 despite all of the benefits. This is largely for financial reasons as it is expensive to run a MotoGP bike, so the more that get entered for a grand prix the more money it will obviously cost.

Many test riders may also enter a grand prix as a replacement rider. This is when somebody stands in for a full-time rider because they have withdrawn from the weekend, like the injured Miguel Oliveira did at the 2023 French GP. In turn, this leaves fewer opportunities for them to be a wildcard.

There is also the factor of injuries. This is because test riders are the natural replacements whenever a main rider gets injured, so what if that test rider got injured when being used as a wildcard? The team would have no backup should one of its main riders get injured too, so there is a big risk involved.

Many test riders are also ex-racers who no longer have the desire to compete in grands prix, but are happy to help a team develop its bike so they may not be willing to enter a round as a wildcard.

The points scored by a wildcard also do not count towards the MotoGP teams’…