MotoGP regulations set for review after “unprecedented” Austin drama

MotoGP’s race direction has given Motorsport.com an in-depth analysis of the chaos that unfolded on the Grand Prix of the Americas starting grid in unstable weather conditions. The Austin event called for quick thinking given several things failed to go as planned – including the safety car crashing into the barriers just 45 minutes before the race start, although this particular incident had no influence on what subsequently happened.

As per the rules, the pitlane opened 25 minutes before the start, at a time when the track was drying but still lightly drizzling. All riders were free to complete one or several laps – going through the pitlane – for five minutes, before taking their spots on the grid; Fabio Quartararo crashed then. As the United States anthem was played just seven minutes before the start, the rain had stopped, the temperature had risen, and the track was quickly drying.



Most riders realised they were about to start the race at a disadvantage, as their bikes were set up for a wet track with wet-weather tyres. Only Brad Binder , Enea Bastianini and Ai Ogura gambled on slick rubber – all from the sixth row of the grid. A now-viral video clip shows that Marc Marquez was not only thinking about a bike swap but also how to minimise his rivals’ reaction time .

He could have started from pole with slick tyres and a wet set-up, but opted to run back to the pits and grab his alternate GP24, with him and his Ducati squad incorrectly assuming he would have to start the race from the back, not be given a ride-through penalty. “The riders who leave the grid and change tyre types at this moment (from wet to dry or vice versa) must start the warm-up lap from the pitlane, take their qualifying position on the grid, and serve a ride-through penalty when directed by race direction,” as per Article 1.18.

7 of the regulations. Watch: Watch Marc Marquez decide on his grid gamble Article 1.18.

7 was tweaked after Jack Miller was alone on pole at the 2018 Argentine Grand Prix while the remainder of the field lined up at the back at Termas de Rio Hondo. “It was adjusted because neither the organisation nor the infrastructure is prepared for a large number of riders to swap bikes just before the race and then take positions at the back of the grid," race director Mike Webb told Motorsport.com.

"That’s why it was decided that each rider would start from their position and the penalty would come afterward." Marquez proved to be so influential that many riders followed his lead, running across to the pitlane. In other words, it was chaos with under one minute before the formation lap.

As safety was compromised, race direction aborted the start with a red flag – which wiped the slate clean and, as a consequence, was detrimental to Binder, Bastianini and Ogura. “The red flag was shown for safety reasons,” Webb said. “When Marc ran to his box, nearly half the grid followed him.

“In those conditions, with so many people and bikes moving around the grid and pitlane, it simply wasn’t safe to start the race. We couldn’t even close the pitwall gates because of the number of people there.” Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images At this point, one might wonder whether a ‘start delayed’ protocol would have been fairer for all riders, but Webb argued that reordering the grid afterwards was unrealistic.

“We decided to show the red flag and restart the procedure because we thought it was the safest and clearest option,” he detailed. “If we had gone with ‘start delayed’, to follow the regulation we would have had to move riders who left the pitlane to the back of the grid, taking us back to Argentina 2018, where it proved unfeasible.” After a 10-minute delay, the quick-start procedure was implemented, and the lights went out.

Race leader Marquez crashed out on lap nine; Francesco Bagnaia eventually secured his first victory of the season, and second-placed Alex Marquez took the lead in the standings. From everything that unfolded in Texas, Webb drew one clear conclusion: “What happened in Austin is unprecedented, but it will lead us to review parts of the regulations – mainly to simplify them so that everyone involved understands them clearly.” MotoGP MotoGP: KTM and Aprilia on for two days of private testing at Misano.