MotoGP radio communications: the project advances with new developments for 2026

For years, radio communications between riders, pit wall, and race direction have been a pet project of Dorna Sports for MotoGP—challenging in terms of implementation, usability, and feasibility. The tests carried out so far (the most recent in Valencia, involving among others Pecco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco) have not produced the hoped-for results. However, the project is moving forward and, for the 2026 season, a first important formal step will be reached with a view to full introduction in 2027.

Originally, the project was based on three different “steps.” A first step with the introduction of radio communications from race direction to the riders for safety-related alerts, followed by two-way communication between the parties. The final stage—still the ultimate goal—focuses on implementing all these radio communications (including the pit walls) for television purposes. An extra product to offer broadcasters, potentially appealing to viewers.

As mentioned, the first trials presented several issues and rider skepticism, pushing this plan into the following years. The only “television” novelty in 2025 came from Aprilia Racing, which made itself available to publicly share some radio communications between pit wall and garage involving technicians and managers. Nothing new: for a couple of years now it has been the same in the FIM EWC Endurance World Championship, where rider-to-pit radio communications were already commonplace in 2017 (!). That’s right: 2017, not 2027. All of this was later shelved due to the difficulty of implementing it.

Dorna is also continuing to develop a platform to achieve this goal. Testing will continue throughout 2026, introducing the “Dorna Communications Module” as mandatory for all rounds on the MotoGP calendar. This is an in-house developed device that will handle, via earpieces and other components, the aforementioned two-way communications in the near future. Riders will be required to be equipped with this system on the hump of their leathers in all practice and race sessions. Not necessarily operational at first, but it must be installed for any kind of experimentation by Dorna. In essence, the path to the future is set, with the first formal step written into the 2026 regulations.