Which MotoGP rule covers team orders?

What is MotoGP's official position on the use of team orders, you might ask.

In brief, there are no regulations that specifically mention such tactics.

Instead any behaviour involving a rider trying to help their team-mate, or hinder a rival, simply falls under rule 1.21.2:

"Riders must ride in a responsible manner which does not cause danger to other competitors or participants, either on the track or in the pitlane.

"Any infringement of this rule may be penalised by the FIM MotoGP Stewards."

In other words, if a rider wants (or is told) to let a team-mate past - and does so without causing a danger to other competitors - that is fine. But if, in letting their team-mate pass (an intentional action), they were to cause an accident, they would be in trouble.

The same rule applies in situations where a rider employs 'go slow' tactics to back-up the field, as used by Jorge Lorenzo when trying to bridge a points gap to Marc Marquez in their 2013 Valencia title showdown.

It's impossible to prove if a rider is pushing at 100% and as long as no irresponsible danger is deemed to have been caused, no rule is broken. In practical terms that usually means as long as no rider falls as a direct result of another rider's actions.

The possibility of team orders is likely to be raised during the remaining five rounds, since the top three riders - all within just 16 points, a record for this stage of the season - each represent a different factory.

Honda's Marc Marquez and Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso are tied on 199 points, with Maverick Vinales third for Yamaha.

Fourth place Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) is 42 points behind, with Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 49 from the top heading into this weekend's Aragon round.