Holeshot devices, starting grid, and satellite teams: official changes in MotoGP

This afternoon three important changes to the premier class of the World Championship were announced: two concern this year already, one in 2028.

The Grand Prix Commission has made decisions that will have a significant impact on MotoGP. In the official statement, it was confirmed that starting from next weekend’s Grand Prix in Assen, holeshot devices will be banned, specifically those known as Front Ride Height devices: the front height adjusters used at the start to lower the bike. This has been discussed for some time, also for safety reasons, and now the change has become definitive. In any case, the lowering devices were set to be completely abolished in 2027, as had already been explained when the new technical regulations were announced.

The second change concerns the starting grid layout with the extension of the distance between rows of three riders from 9 to 12 meters starting at the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring (July 10–12). There will remain three riders per row, with no switch to two as had been speculated in recent weeks. The change will not only affect MotoGP, but also Moto2 and Moto3. In this case too, the decision was made with the aim of increasing safety.

Finally, in the MotoGP class, starting from the 2028 season, there will be a maximum limit of six bikes on the grid per manufacturer, provided that at that time there are at least five manufacturers competing in the Championship. Currently, Ducati fields the most bikes, exactly six. All the other brands have four each. The move was made to prevent anyone from having too many bikes and thus gaining an excessive advantage over the competition. Until 2024 Ducati had as many as eight, then Prima Pramac signed with Yamaha, which since 2023 had no satellite team.

Corsedimoto on Instagram, subscribe here to our news channel