Misano: Bradl tests on-track MotoGP helmet radio

MotoGP is considering the introduction of a helmet radio system to provide riders with messages from Race D🐷irectiꦇon, while on track.

A prototype was evaluated by Repsol Honda's Stefa🧸൩n Bradl during Friday practice at Misano.

The helmet radio has been proposed to solve instances of trackside yellow flags and/or🍨 dashboard messages being missed by the riders.

Stefan Bradl, San Marino MotoGP. 11September 2020
Stefan Bradl, San Marino MotoGP. 11September 2020
© Gold and Goose

MotoGP is considering the introduction of a helmet radio system t💮o provide riders with messages from Ra🌠ce Direction, while on track.

A prototype was evaluated by Repsol Honda'ꦰs✅ Stefan Bradl during Friday practice at Misano.

The helmet radio has been proposed to solve instances of trackside yellow flags and/or 🅠dashboard messages being missed by the riders.

"Dorna came to me and wanted to try something with radio connection to the rider," Bradl explained. "For example, some crash happened, and when you are all in a group it’s difficu🐟lt 🌞to sometimes see yellow or red flags. We were talking about this in the Safety Commission.

"With the radio, Race Direction can give us some warning in case something happened. The syste🍷m was working good. It was the first step in terms of safety, but it can be a big steꦆp for us.

"I got some messages like ‘Warning’ or ‘Yellow flag’. The voice I had in my ear was fine. I could hear it very well. It was not dangerous or distracting me. From that point of v💙iew they are making a good job.

"But we have to find better soluti🥂ons because 𒆙we are moving a lot more with the head compared to F1 drivers.

"A💛lso the noise is sometimes different. If you are inside the windscreen and go out it changes a lot with the wind. We🧸 need to find better connections going into the ear, covering the noise.

"We already have some ideas so we can move forward q♛uickly to introduce this system qui🌞ckly in the future. "

While the radio would initially be used to pass on instructions from Race Direction, MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta admitted that the system could eventually involve into full F1-style communications between rider and𝔍 team.

"One of the things we’ve been addressing this year is the visibility of the yellow flags and flags in gener♚al," Ezpeleta told the official MotoGP website.

"After the events in Austria we spoke to some of the riders in the Safety Commission and they asked if we could try the radio system again. We had tested this in the past with various riders and they said it was disturbing. Now technologꦜy has improved a lot we decided to give it another try.

"We tested with Stefan. It went well. It was just a preliminary test. The system itself is the first prototype. At the beginning, this will only be used to ൲communicate predetermined recorded messages about flags, penalties, things like this.

"Then maybe in the future we could open u𓄧p to communication with th🅘e teams and if it’s possible from riders back to the teams.

"We’re very happy with this first test today. The idea is we’ll test it again on Tuesday at th♋e MotoGP test here at Misano. Hopefully, we’ll be able to present something soon in the following seasons."

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