FIM announces new disciplinary and sporting regulations
The FIM has announced a new set of regulations regarding penalties over dangerous riding, and also sporting regulations regarding start procedures and qualifying.
Here is the key section of the press release…
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) in the presence of Javier Alonso (Dorna), Mike Trimby (IRTA, Secretary of the meeting), Paul Duparc (FIM) and Mike Webb (Race Director), in a meeting held on 13 December 2012 in Madrid, made the following decisions. (Note: Some decisions were made at the previous meeting on 10 November at Valencia but not announced at that time).
Sporting and Disciplinary Regulations
Effective immediately:
It has been recognised that there is the need to address the problem of riders who are constantly being warned or penalised for endangering other riders or committing other serious offences like assaulting marshals or other officials. To address this issue a new system of Penalty Points was approved. Race Direction can sanction a rider with a number of Penalty Points between one and ten. This can be instead of or in addition to any other sanction. Points will “tot up” during the season and when certain thresholds are reached the following sanctions will be applied automatically:
• Four Points – Starts next race from rear of grid.
• Seven Points – Starts next race from pit lane.
• Ten Points – Disqualification from the next event.
Once the ten point sanction has been imposed then points reset to Zero. Points are not carried forward to the following season.
Several changes to the start procedure were approved:
Pit lane opening will be accompanied by a green flag at the pit exit in addition to the existing green light.
No red flag will be displayed in front of the grid at the conclusion of the sighting lap.
Tyre warmers must be removed immediately on display of the one minute board.
Following approval of the new qualifying procedure for the MotoGP class it is also necessary to determine the criteria for actual qualification to take part in the race – the 107% rule. To be allowed to take part in the actual qualifying sessions a rider must achieve a time better than 107% of the fastest rider in any of the four free practice sessions. It is no longer possible to qualify for the race based on a time set in the warm up. Riders who are appointed as substitutes for an injured rider after some free practice sessions have taken place and have not achieved the 107% cut off will still be allowed to participate in Qualifying Practice 1 where they must achieve a qualifying time.
Failure of riders participating in their first event of the season to attend the FIM briefing may attract a penalty but will no longer result in automatic disqualification.
The responsibility for switching on red rear lights in rain conditions now rests with the teams. No boards will be displayed.
It is no longer a requirement for the team to be notified and acknowledge the imposition of a ride through penalty due to a jump start. The requirement will be displayed at the start line to the rider and included on the information page of the timekeeping monitors.
There is no longer a minimum fine that can be imposed by Race Direction. The maximum fine is now fixed at €50,000.00
