MotoGP to introduce radio communications similar to F1

The first phase will be introduced next year, allowing the race director to communicate with the rider.

According to media reports, MotoGP has decided to introduce radio communications between the race director and riders from the 2025 season.

Reports state that the communication system will be introduced in phases, with the final phase being similar to F1 - wherein the rider will be able to openly communicate with their respective teams on the pit wall. There is also an indication that the system could allow open communication between riders in the same team. This step, though, is largely intended to improve the TV spectacle.

Dorna hasn't confirmed when the final phase of communications will be implemented yet. However, the first phase will be introduced next year, allowing the race director to communicate with the rider via short and concise messages.

Following this, the second phase will be implemented in 2026, where radio will work both ways, allowing riders and the race director to talk and reply to each other.

Dorna has already been working on a radio communication system for a few years now. Back in 2022, riders mounted an earpiece in the rider's helmet to receive messages during a test at Jerez, with a second test being held in Valencia last year. MotoGP even managed to design an earpiece, which can be mounted in the earlobe of the rider with the sound being transmitted by vibration.

Maverick Vinales explained, "It can be very interesting for safety if for example there is an accident, a rider in the middle of the track, that Race Direction can warn you immediately."

Similarly, Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo, who tested the system, both in Jerez 2022 and Valencia 2023, was one of the riders who got to sample it at Misano recently. He added, "Sergi [Sendra, Dorna's head of TV] is working very well on this. He has been developing it for a long time, and I think it's a great idea for many reasons. We still have a long way to go, because, with the noise of the bike, it is still difficult to hear well. My friend and my crew chief told them not to talk to me in sector 3 in the fast section, but it's a bit weird to hear people talking when you're riding and when you're not breathing."

Quartararo further explained, "We also have to work on the volume of the audio because in some areas, you cannot hear well, but under braking, you can hear a little better. In the Valencia test, we also used it, I think it's the third time I've used it. I think it's great to have communication when something serious happens on the track. If there is oil on the track and nobody knows about it, for example."

Source: Autosport