Dangerous MotoGP starts: “If you’re too late, you’ve lost”

Johann Zarco’s serious crash at the start of the MotoGP race in Barcelona in May has reignited the debate about the safety of the ever-faster motorbikes. The Frenchman suffered serious injuries to his left knee in the collision. Danilo Petrucci knows both MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship from personal experience and sees several areas where improvements could be made, particularly to make the critical approach to the first corner safer.

Petrucci sees a fundamental problem in the enormous power of today’s MotoGP machines. If a rider misses their braking point when braking for the first corner after the start, they cannot simply compensate for the extra speed by applying even greater braking force.

“If you brake even harder on these motorbikes, the deceleration doesn’t improve. As soon as the rear wheel loses contact with the ground, the deceleration doesn’t get any better,” explained Petrucci in an exclusive interview with SPEEDWEEK.com editor Stephan Moosbrugger. “If you’re even a little too late, you’ve already lost. Then you have to find a way to avoid the other riders.”

Danilo Petrucci

Foto: Gold & Goose

This becomes a particular problem right after the start. The field is packed tightly as it heads towards the first corner, with numerous riders side by side. If a rider brakes too late, they have very few options left to avoid a collision.

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Petrucci criticises the ride-height devices

In this context, Petrucci is also critical of the technical systems used to lower the MotoGP bikes. The front ride-height device has now been banned, and from 2027 the systems will disappear completely under the new technical regulations.

“The ride-height device is, of course, no help,” Petrucci noted. The Italian also questions the usefulness of the technology outside the realm of prototype racing. “It’s not something you’ll ever see on a production motorbike. Sure, it improves performance, but it’s something you simply don’t need in the real world.”

Die Ride-Height-Devices werden 2027 verboten

Foto: Gold & Goose

The devices enabled MotoGP engineers to further improve acceleration. The result was even higher speeds on the straights – and thus additional challenges during the subsequent braking manoeuvres.

Barcelona: Grid closer to Turn 1?

However, Petrucci doesn’t just see potential for improved safety in the motorbikes. In his view, the circuit layouts – and in particular the position of the starting grid – could also play a role. The multiple MotoGP winner has a specific suggestion for Barcelona: the starting positions could be moved further towards the first corner. This would not affect the finish line.

“The starting grid – but not the finish line – could be moved a little further forward,” Petrucci suggested. “For me, it would be a good solution if the starting grid were closer to the first corner.”

The background: in Barcelona, the MotoGP riders reach enormous speeds straight after the start before they have to brake hard for the first time. “In Barcelona, you’re travelling at just under 300 km/h as you approach the first corner. The track layout is crucial,” emphasised the Italian.

It is not just speed that plays a role here, but also the nature of the first corner. “In Barcelona, there is only one line. It’s different at Mugello. There, you approach the first corner at a similar speed, but it’s quite wide. If in doubt, you can choose another line.”

Moving the starting grid forwards would shorten the acceleration straight. As a result, the motorbikes would reach Turn 1 at a lower speed, without the actual track layout having to be altered.

A relocation is also being discussed at Most

The idea isn’t limited to MotoGP. Petrucci reported that a similar measure has also been discussed in the Superbike World Championship. “In the Superbike World Championship, there was also the idea of moving the starting line. At Most, the first chicane is always tricky. That’s why we’ve been wanting to move the starting line for the past two years. I think that’s a good solution.”

The Autodrom Most in particular is known for its tight first chicane. There, too, a tightly packed field encounters a section after the start that offers little scope for different racing lines.

An arms race between engineers and regelhüter

However, Petrucci does not expect a definitive solution to the safety issues. Technical development is progressing too quickly for that. If certain hazards are mitigated by changes to the regulations, the engineers find new ways to make the motorbikes faster.

“The motorbikes are getting faster year on year. New problems keep cropping up. But that’s the nature of development,” Petrucci summarised. This brings two conflicting interests into play. “The engineers want to make the motorbikes ever faster, whilst the rules are designed to slow them down. But it is the engineers’ job to build ever-better motorbikes.”

Zarco’s crash in Barcelona shows just how difficult this balancing act remains. Petrucci’s proposal therefore doesn’t focus solely on technology: a shorter run-up to particularly critical first corners could reduce speed immediately after the start – and, in an emergency, give riders those crucial metres that could prevent a collision.