MotoGP’s new tyre pressure system starts final testing

If all goes to plan, penalties for breaching the minimum pressures specified by Michelin will ‘probably’ begin after the summer break, at Silverstone.

“From my understanding, the system, starting in Mugello, is working,” Michelin’s MotoGP boss Piero Taramasso told Crash.net in Italy. “All the software, sensors, algorithms, everything should now be working 100%.

“So now we will have two or three races of testing in real-time: Mugello, Sachsenring and maybe Assen. And then probably after the summer break they will start with the official implantation.”

The initial target had been to allow manufacturers to gather data using the new 'unified' real-time sensors during the opening three rounds of this season, then introduce penalties from round four at Jerez.

“It was a little bit delayed because technically it’s quite a complicated system. But honestly, they did a very, very good job. Dorna’s timekeeping did an amazing job. Also Magneti Marelli with the software,” Taramasso explained.

“Dorna, Michelin and the teams all wanted this [real time] system just to be sure, for equality, that everybody respects the same [tyre pressure] values. It’s also a safety issue, so it’s very important.

“This type of [real-time pressure monitoring] system is working for Moto2 and MotoE already. They also have the same system in car racing. So it’s normal that MotoGP, the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, uses it also.

“We were not able to do it before, in past seasons, because teams were using different sensors.

“This new system will be more accurate and automated than [using tyre gauges]. Also, the minimum pressures that we specify for safety are working pressures. Meaning when the bikes are at speed on the track.”

The minimum pressures set by Michelin are 1.9 bar for the front and 1.7 bar for the rear.

Because tyre pressure constantly varies when on track, riders will only be penalised if their front or rear tyre pressure fails to reach these minimum pressures for at least 50% of a race distance.

A similar percentage will also be required to avoid the cancellation of a fast lap in practice or qualifying.