Michelin confirms the new minimum front tyre pressure for the 2024 MotoGP season, along with the introduction of new post-race time penalties.
MotoGP has confirmed that breaches of tyre pressure regulations this season will lead to a heightened post-race time penalty, rather than disqualification.
An article on MotoGP.com on Thursday evening, ahead of the 2024 season-opening Qatar MotoGP, stated: “The FIM MotoGP Stewards have also announced new, fixed [tyre pressure] penalties for 2024. In the Sprint, violations will result in an eight-second time penalty, while in the Grand Prix race, it will be a 16-second penalty.
In the previous season, following the introduction of a real-time tyre pressure monitoring system, the initial offence resulted in a warning, with subsequent post-race time penalties increasing to 3 seconds, 6 seconds, and 9 seconds.
In an interview with MotoGP’s director of technology, Corrado Cecchinelli, Crash.net had previously exclusively reported that larger time penalties were being considered for 2024 instead of reverting to the standard punishment of disqualification.
Michelin decreases the mandatory minimum front tyre pressure.
Michelin officially reduces the mandatory minimum front tyre pressure from 1.88 to 1.80 bar for the 2024 MotoGP season.
This adjustment, as discussed in our interview with Cecchinelli, comes in response to rider concerns regarding front locking and grip issues arising from increased temperature and pressure while closely following other bikes in races.
“Once you go over 2.1 bar, you lose all grip, all braking performance, and then it becomes very dangerous,” explained KTM test and wild-card rider Dani Pedrosa last season.
Although tyre pressure will still rise under such conditions, starting at a lower value ensures that the peak pressure reached is also lower, helping to alleviate these issues.
To accommodate the lower pressure, riders are now required to meet the minimum for at least 60% of the grand prix race laps, up from 50% last season. For a Sprint, 30% compliance is still mandatory.
While the initial warning for a first pressure infringement was set to be removed in 2024, the revised time penalties were not confirmed until Thursday’s last-minute announcement.
Previously, it seemed that the standard technical infringement penalty of disqualification might be enforced. However, this will no longer be the case. Nonetheless, the size of the time penalties could still significantly impact the results, particularly if there is an unexpected drop in temperature on the grid or during a race.
Last season, Fabio di Giannantonio suffered the greatest consequence for failing to meet the minimum pressures, losing a podium finish at the Valencia finale. Additionally, Aleix Espargaro, Luca Marini, and Franco Morbidelli received post-race penalties for a second offence.
The minimum (dry) rear tyre pressure, which was not a concern for riders, remains at 1.68 bar for this season.
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