MotoGP | New “Long Lap Penalty” rule approved

2019 MotoGP regulations – The new rule called “Long Lap Penalty” which was discussed in the recent Qatar tests has been approved. The new rule arises from the impossibility of giving a certain punishment to a driver who has been involved in contact with other drivers or for having exceeded the Track Limit too many times.

Until last year, it was necessary to lose positions, but the communication from the pits did not always have a positive response.

It was therefore decided to identify a point on the track in each circuit (in Qatar for example at turn 6, ed.) where an external trajectory could be drawn, a trajectory where the penalized driver will have to pass and which on paper should generally cause him to lose 2 or more seconds.

The driver must pass through that point no later than three laps after the penalty was reported. This new sanction can be used not only for violations of track limits (Track Limit, ed.), but also in other cases deemed appropriate by the Stewards.

In some circumstances, the Stewards themselves may still decide to use the "drop position", thus forcing a driver to give up one or more positions.