Radio communication with MotoGP riders to start from 2025

MotoGP has revealed to teams that it plans to implement a new race radio communication system between race directors and riders in 2025.

Autosport disclosed that meetings took place by Dorna at Misano, where the Spanish promoter told teams about its decision to introduce radio communications in MotoGP.

It is expected that official announcements will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

It is understood that this form of communication will be one-sided, with race directors able to talk with riders out on track.

This will allow riders to be informed of specific safety-related matters throughout the weekend.

This system is believed to be used as part of a trial, with further plans in future years to allow radio communication to work both ways between the rider and race direction.

Dorna’s end-goal strategy sees the teams and riders being able to communicate with each other, but there is no precise date provided as to when this would be implemented.

Previous trials of the first phase were held in 2022 and then later in the 2023 Valencia test, which saw Dorna come up with an earpiece in the riders’ earlobe.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo praised the work of Dorna to make this happen and is strongly in favour of radio communication being brought in.

“Sergi [Sendra, Dorna’s head of TV] is working very well on this,” he explained.

“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.

“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.”

Aprilia rider Maverick Vinales provided his two cents, too, agreeing that this is a good idea from Dorna.

“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,” he added.

“It’s clear that times are changing and that this kind of thing makes for a better show. My favourite phrase I can already tell you, it will be: ‘Now don’t bother me!’”