MotoGP | From this year airbag mandatory in all categories

MotoGP Airbags – Starting from the beginning of this season, Dorna FIM and IRTA have decided to make the use of the airbag under the suit mandatory in all categories of the MotoGP.

According to the new regulation, the safety system will have to be used by all drivers during every session on the track, with the exception of wildcards, who will be exempt from this obligation in the first two events in which they take part.

Furthermore, the regulatory changes explain that the airbag must protect at least the shoulder and collarbone area, while complete rear or central protection will be optional. If there is a back protection, it must cover the entire spine.

Except for these limits, complete freedom is left to the manufacturer, who will be able to adapt the protections for each rider based on individual needs.

Each airbag will have to pass a series of safety tests, ranging from the battery to inflation times, and be certified. The fundamental point is that accidental activation should not prevent the rider from being able to control his motorbike. Everything will obviously have to be activated automatically, without any constraints on the motorbike.

Some riders have already been using this system for a few seasons, in various versions that depend on the characteristics decided by the manufacturer, but for the most part they are double-charged, that is: in the event of a first fall the rider can get back on the bike.

Some drivers will be forced to adapt to the new regulation, like Jorge Lorenzo, who does not use airbags due to the resulting increase in weight, which can reach up to 2,5 kg.

Photos: Alex Farinelli