The MotoGP World Championship will no longer have intermediate tyres at their disposal during a race weekend, it has been decided in the latest Grand Prix Commission meeting held this week.
French tyre manufacturer Michelin, who became the series’ sole tyre supplier at the start of this season, added the intermediate tyre to its roster of wet rubber. It was hoped that an intermediate would allow riders to continue circulating a track that had seen slight rainfall for the benefit of the fans watching from trackside.
However, the operating window of the intermediate tyre was so narrow that it rarely saw action and most riders completely disregarded it as an option for the race. With Michelin talking about scrapping the tyre for next year towards the end of this season, this decision comes as no real surprise.
The tyre allocation for slick and wet tyres per rider, per weekend remains unchanged but a third option slick compound will be made available for the front and rear.
The GPC have also made changes to the fines handed out for pit lane speeding. After numerous riders repeatedly broke the pit lane speed limit during the 2016 season, the fine amount has been increased from €150 to €200 and other penalties can be handed out for repeat offenders during a race weekend should Race Control think it necessary.
Alterations have been made to the start and restart procedure. If a rider arrives to the grid after the safety car on the final warm up lap they must now start from the end of pit lane. It was also agreed that riders who didn’t make the original start can take the restart if the race is stopped before three laps have been completed.
In Moto2 and Moto3, all machines will carry dummy cameras or ballast in the same area to replicate the weight of a camera. Currently, just the top six in each class carry onboard cameras and it was considered that this may be a hindrance in a class where machinery is so equal.
