MotoGP burn-outs set to fade-away

Say goodbye to acrid tyre smoke and the sound of tortured rubber

CELEBRATORY post-race burn-outs will probably be a thing of the past, at least for MotoGP, thanks to the new long-life engine rule.

The new ruling also means that riders won’t be attempting to ride crashed bikes back to the pits, for fear of drawing dirt into the motor.

“You’ll see people getting a scooter ride back rather than bringing the bike home,” said Nicky Hayden; while long-time tyre-smoker Rossi pledged that burn-out celebrations will also disappear.

Before long wheelies will disappear for good, too. Now that would be an utter tragedy.