MotoGP ride height device ban a ‘bad display of fairness’

Ride height devices made their way onto the MotoGP grid in 2018 when Ducati introduced a rear holeshot device onto Jack Miller’s Pramac Ducati to help with starts.

This developed the following year into a device that could squat the rear of the Ducati during a lap, before it further evolved this into a front ride height device that could be used in much the same way.

The continued development of ride height devices led to safety fears amongst teams and riders, with MotoGP electing to ban the front ride height adjusters for the 2023 season.

It was a decision at the time that upset Ducati, with Barana telling the media during the Aragon Grand Prix that the marque is still angered by the decision – which it sees as its rivals simply calling to ban something it couldn’t develop correctly.

“I don’t like to talk much about this topic because of what happened with these devices,” Barana said when asked about the ride height device ban for 2023.

“We have been the first to introduce the first system for the start, for the launch procedure. The others followed.

“We developed the second step of the system, that it was a dynamic system that allowed you to lower the bike during bike operation.

“And the others followed. Next step was to expand this capability into the front of the bike, and at a certain point someone came up with a proposal to ban this kind of device.

“It was clear that this device was already in use from one manufacturer – Ducati – and at a certain point Ducati declared to the other manufacturers that we are using this kind of device you are going to ban.

“Five manufacturers out of six decided to ban. What I would say, the five manufacturers just exercised their rights, it was all in the rules.

“But looking at this story, I can say it does not beam a very nice display of fairness of at all, because instead of trying to catch up with developing your bike it’s much easier to ban something that only one has. “

Ride height device safety was called into question again after last weekend’s Aragon GP, when a collision between Marc Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami was blamed on a piece of debris from Fabio Quartararo’s bike after a separate clash jamming Marquez’s rear device when it was engaged.

Factory Ducati rider Jack Miller dismissed this, noting “shit happens” when riders collide with each other.

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