MotoGP Jerez: Tyre pressure punishments delayed

The MotoGP World Championship will not introduce penalties for breaking the minimum tyre pressure regulations until at least round six at Mugello, in mid-June.
Start line, Sprint Race, Argentina MotoGP, 1 April
Start line, Sprint Race, Argentina MotoGP, 1 April

The initial target had been to allow manufacturers to gather pressure data using the new 'unified' real-time sensors during the opening three rounds, then introduce sanctions from thisꦡ weekend’s🐷 Spanish MotoGP at Jerez.

However, an update 𝐆on the official MotoGP website has confirmed that testin🐻g of the system ‘remains ongoing in preparation for its full introduction and enforcement’ with 'more analysis' during the Spanish and French GPs:

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‘As agreed with the MSMA - the manufacturers association - the unified🔥 system was not to be i🤪ntroduced before Jerez 2023 and required validating to ensure a reliable system for scrutineering.

‘Testing started during pre-seꦐason and remains ongoing in preparation for its full introduction and enforcement.

‘More analysis will now take place at the Spanish and Fren💃ch GPs, as well as the one-day Jerez Test the day after the🔥 Spanish GP has concluded.’

The Italian Grand Prix at ♋Mugello is the event after&nbౠsp;Le Mans.

Because tyre pressure is constantly fluctuating on track th🥂e minimum pressures allowed by Michelin of 1.9 bar for the front and 1.7 bar ༺for the rear will not be ‘line in the sand’ limits.

Instead, a generous level of tole🍨rance is to be given before a penal🌞ty occurs.

For example, a rider might only be penalised if their front or rear tyre pressure fails to reach the minimum for more than 50% of a fast lap in practice/qualifying or 50% of a race d🥂istance.

However, the penalti🍃es will be harsh: Cancellation of the lap time or disqualification from the race.

Many riders have raise♌d concerns that, to be sure of staying within the new p💛ressure limits, they need to leave the pits with a higher starting pressure than before.

That is not a problem if they then ride alone on track but if they find the🅰mselves in the wheeltracks of other machines - a likely scenar🀅io during race - front tyre temperature/pressure can quickly reach a level where grip and handling is badly compromised.

Likewise, if a lower starting pressure is used on the assumption that a rider will be battling in the pack, but the rider instead finds clean air (most obviously by leading) the pressure will not rise by as much as had been expected. Tꦛhe rider will then risk disqualification for being below the specified pressure minimum for too long.

Dashboard lights can be used to alert riders to hig🔥h or low pressures but riders argue there is ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚlittle they can do about it on track - especially in the case of low pressure.

While awaiting the new system, manufacturers agreed to share tyre pressure data after each race last season, which caused controversy when the Jerez 2022 table was leaked, with winner Francesco Bagnaia lis🌠ted as below the minimum.

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