(03/05/23) MotoGP has started testing new radio
communication solutions, with two systems
trialed after last weekend’s Spanish GP in Jerez.
The tests are part of a long term project that aims to establish
radio communication
with riders whilst they’re out on track.
One solution
was previously tested at Misano in 2020, and now two new systems
are under evaluation this season. One goes around the earplugs
riders use and the other directly into the ear. Comfort, noise,
viability and fallibility are of utmost importance, and a number
of different riders tested them out in order to provide their
feedback.
At this stage, the project is focused on further
improving communication between race control and the riders out on
track, using pre-recorded messages sent via a one-way system to
riders. Gaining more information more quickly regarding any
potential hazards or changes in conditions will facilitate another
step forward in rider safety.
Fabio Quartararo in action for Monster Energy Yamaha. Picture: MotoGP
“We work very closely with the riders and
the teams, and communication with the riders from race control has
been a priority over the last few years,” said Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting
Officer, Dorna Sports. “In 2020, the riders were
complaining about the visibility of the flags, them knowing what’s
happening on track and being warned about flags, rain or
incidents, so we did a radio test at Misano in 2020. But the
riders weren’t very happy with the first system, they felt
uncomfortable with it and the level of noise. So we decided to go
down the route of LED panels and imposing them as a must for all
circuits from last year, which has been very successful. The
riders are very happy and I think we’ve made strong progress and development in terms of yellow flags, and flags in general, and
getting information to the riders during races and sessions. So
we’re very happy with the LED panels, which are now throughout the
whole calendar.
“Still, it was important for us to continue
helping and communicating with the riders when they’re on the
bikes and the next phase for us was to re-engage with the project
of the radio and audio communication. It’s a challenging one for
us because as opposed to cars, the helmets for motorbikes are
tight, especially in the face, and bikes are much noisier. There’s
much more movement – riders need to be free to move on the bike,
so it’s much more challenging. There also has to be communication
with the rider themselves, not the bike, from race control. So
there are things we have to work on but we’re very happy.”
Riders wear
earplugs to reduce the noise on track, so any system needs to
address that complication. During the test pre-recorded radio messages
were sent to the riders while they were out on track.
The idea is for the system in
future to be GPS marked, so if a rider is approaching an area with a
yellow flag, rain or a slippery surface, it will warn the rider
before s/he gets there.
“For the time
being, it’s safety related messages, only pre-recorded messages
from race control to the riders, but I think there’s a lot of
development that can go into it over the following years,” Carlos
added. “It’s a
one-way system at the moment, and all the riders agree it’s
positive in principle. At a later stage if the teams agree, and
once they’re more comfortable with the system, in terms of two-way
communication via radio from riders to race control or teams to
riders as well, I think it’s something that will probably happen
in the future. The riders already have a lot of work on the bikes
with ride height devices and so on, so let’s see what happens with
the technical regulations! But definitely, a lot of innovation is
coming in the following seasons.
“It’s also very
interesting for us to study crash dynamics and have GPS systems on
the riders, to see how they slide, where they end up, to further
work to improve safety. So yes that’s why we’re starting off with
safety in terms of the audio communication project. Its full
introduction depends on different factors and it won’t be before
the start of 2024 in Qatar, but it’s also when the riders agree
it’s safe to listen to radio messages. There’s a lot of
development on the software side, so if they only want to only
receive messages in pre-determined places, that will be more
challenging for us to prepare those messages and sectors.”
