The MotoGP regulations impose a winter break on riders, the contours of which are officially defined so that competitors can rest and that development of the bikes can be limited to the manufacturers' workshops.
What is the period in question?
Article 1.15.1.1 of the regulation, which concerns testing in the MotoGP category, specifies the rule that applies to contracted riders. Drivers under contract for the following season are therefore prohibited from carrying out tests between 1 December and 31 January inclusive.
Are all tests banned?
MotoGP testing is banned, but rider training on the bikes is not. “These rider training sessions can take place on any circuit, at any time, even during the testing ban period. They are training sessions, they can do whatever they want, but they cannot use a motorcycle of the same category as the one they race in “, explained the MotoGP race director, Mike Webb, to the official website of the World Championship.
This doesn't mean that riders can't race large-displacement bikes, but the bike chosen must be sufficiently different from the MotoGP. “If they use motorbikes of the same displacement, therefore a 1000cc or almost, it must be a standard road motorbike. So they use an approved road motorbike, with small modifications allowed for safety reasons. They can change the brakes, the suspensions and some parts of the exhausts, but not the engine or the software. It's basically a standard street bike, with improvements to the tyres, brakes and suspension.”
When does the winter break end?
The starting drivers can resume testing in February, after the break. This year, the recovery will take place in two phases, depending on the level of concessions available to each manufacturer under the new rules.
The shakedown at Sepang, from February 1st to 3rd, is open to test riders, rookies (in this case, Pedro Acosta this season) and official riders of the manufacturers in category D of the concession grid, currently Yamaha and Honda. The other official riders will have to wait for the collective test which will be held from 6 to 8 February, again in Sepang. After that, they will have one last pre-season test, in Lusail on February 19 and 20.
These official tests, organized by Dorna and IRTA, are the only opportunity for riders linked to one of the manufacturers in categories A to C of the starting grid to ride a MotoGP before the start of the championship. For Yamaha and Honda, testing is free throughout the season, with a limit of 260 tires in total.
Is there also a summer break?
Yes, MotoGP also has a mandatory summer break, the exact dates of which are revised annually based on the calendar. “At the request of the teams, there is a summer break in the middle of the year. We try to have a break from racing and at the same time a break from testing, simply to give the drivers and teams a chance to rest after an intense season,” explains Mike Webb.
In 2023, this summer break was extended from July 10th to August 1st. In 2024 it will be more or less equivalent, with the calendar featuring a three-week break between the July Grands Prix.
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