FIM clarifies MotoGP race restart rules

The FIM Grand Prix Commission has released clarification for its rules on interrupted MotoGP races following the changes confirmed earlier this month.

Key alterations were made to MotoGP’s rules on race classifications and restarts ahead of the 2019 season, where riders will be considered either “active” or “retired” and duly permitted to restart and interrupted race, following a meeting by the Grand Prix Commission in Madrid.

The FIM has published new regulations to clarify the 2019 rules which sees changes to the starting positions for riders re-joining a race after a red flag interruption.

The bulk of the current rules remain unaltered but a key clarification sees any rider one lap down in the initial race, who is also permitted to restart, must start from the pit lane but if a rider is two laps or more down on the leaders they will not be permitted to restart.

Sporting Regulation clarifications (18th December 2018), changes in bold:

Race Classification and Eligibility to Restart After an Interrupted Race

In order to avoid any misunderstandings by Teams, Riders, Broadcasters and other Media, the Grand Prix Commission has modified the regulations to further clarify existing rules.

Classification of an Interrupted Race

If the Race Director decides to interrupt a race at any point from the start of the warm up lap onwards, then red flags will be displayed at the finish line and at all marshals’ posts and he will switch on the red lights around the circuit. Riders must immediately slow down and return to the pit lane. The results will be the results taken at the last point where the leader and all other active riders on the same lap as the leader had completed a full lap without the red flag being displayed.

Exceptions:

i.) if the race is interrupted after the chequered flag, the following procedure will apply:

1. For all the riders to whom the chequered flag was shown before the interruption, a partial classification will be established at the end of the last lap of the race.

2. For all the riders to whom the chequered flag was not shown before the interruption, a partial classification will be established at the end of the penultimate lap of the race.

3. The complete classification will be established by combining both partial classifications as per the lap/time procedure.

ii) In an interrupted race, if the leader and all active riders on the same lap have completed a full lap before the red flag is displayed, and at that time there is a rider in pit lane which closes due to the red flag without the rider crossing a timekeeping point, the results will be taken from the last timekeeping point that the race leader and all other active riders on the same lap as the leader have crossed. If there is a problem with a rider’s timekeeping transponder, the results will be taken from the previous finish line results.

At the time the red flag is displayed, riders who are not actively competing in the race will not be classified. Within 5 minutes after the red flag has been displayed, riders who have not entered the pit lane crossing the designated pit lane entry timekeeping point riding on their motorcycle, will not be classified.

An exception may be granted in exceptional circumstances (e.g. post-race celebration in an interrupted race deemed to have been completed).

MotoGP Class Race – Interrupted Race Classifications

The regulations currently allow for multiple restarts of interrupted MotoGP class races with the possibility of multiple restarted races. In a situation where it was not possible to restart any of these races it has been decided that a result will only be based on the results of a previous race if five or more laps had been completed.

Restarting a Race That Has Been Interrupted

The grid position will be based on the finishing order of the first race.

Riders who are classified 1 lap down will start the restarted race from Pit Lane.

Riders who are classified 2 laps down will not be eligible to restart.