MotoGP to increase grid spacing from German GP onwards

MotoGP teams have agreed to increase the distance between the rows on the starting grid from the upcoming German Grand Prix, Motorsport.com has learned.

The measure comes in response to the multi-rider crash that occurred at Turn 1 of the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit during the first restart of the Catalan Grand Prix, from which Johann Zarco has yet to fully recover. The Frenchman suffered a serious knee injury after his left leg became trapped in the rear section of Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati following a high-speed chain-reaction accident under braking at the first corner.

Since the incident, which took place in mid-May, officials from MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MGPSEG), the championship promoter, have held several meetings with the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA) and team representatives to devise a strategy aimed at reducing, as much as possible, the congestion of bikes into the first corner of grands prix, where the majority of race-start accidents tend to occur.

Following a series of discussions, the parties held a final meeting on Saturday afternoon, from which emerged a two-phase roadmap.

Starting with the Sachsenring round on 12 July, the distance between each row of the starting grid will be increased by three metres, providing riders with more room and greater separation at the launch. At the same time, the intention is to ban the use of ride-height devices at the start of races from the British Grand Prix in mid-August, the first event after the summer break.

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports (Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images)

Teams have agreed to carry out an initial test of the revised procedure at the next round of the calendar, scheduled to take place in Brno in two weeks’ time. If the outcome proves satisfactory, the proposal will be submitted to the Grand Prix Commission for approval and the corresponding amendment to the regulations.

In practice, this is considered a formality given the broad consensus among all parties involved.

Speaking at Mugello last week, MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta acknowledged that MGPSEG was evaluating a number of measures together with the teams and the MSMA, which are now set to be introduced as soon as possible.

“Changing the grid is a very, very significant modification for the championship and, depending on the space available between the starting line and the final corner, it could require substantial changes at some circuits,” Ezpeleta said in Italy last week regarding the proposal to increase spacing between grid rows.

The ban on ride-height devices had already been planned as part of the new technical regulations due to come into force next season, but the Barcelona accident has accelerated its implementation.

Unlike the rules that will apply from 2027, riders will still be allowed to use the rear ride-height device during the race itself. Initially, the possibility of introducing the ban only at Silverstone and Phillip Island was considered, given the higher level of risk posed by their fast, sweeping first corners when the field arrives in a tightly packed group. Ultimately, however, it was decided that the restriction should apply at all circuits.

“The proposal to ban ride-height devices is for every circuit [...]. It is now up to the manufacturers to evaluate it. This is a discussion with an expiry date because the devices will no longer be part of the sport in 2027, so the question is whether we can do something already this year,” Ezpeleta said at the time.