Change to Grand Prix rules

By GARY MORELLO

The Grand Prix Commission met late last year at the Dorna offices, Madrid, to discuss revisions for GP racing in 2001.

Four individuals decided on the new rules - Claude Danis (FIM), Sito Pons (IRTA), Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA).

At the end of the day, they finished the meeting with a few tweaks here and there. As of January 1, 2001, these changes would be effective during the season:

• Start of the race: a red light will be displayed for between 2 and 5 seconds. The red light will go out to start the race (no more green light).

• Anticipation of the start is defined by the spindle of the front wheel of the motorcycle crossing the line that marks the front of that rider's grid position before the red light goes out.

• Start delayed, restart procedure: in this instance, riders must stop their engines. The start procedure will be re-commenced at the five minute board stage.

• Riders should use only the track and the pit-lane. However, if a rider accidentally leaves the track, then he may rejoin it at the place indicated by the marshals or at a place which does not provide an advantage to him. Any infringement during the practices or warm-up will be penalised by the cancellation of the lap time concerned. Any infringement during the race will be penalised by a stop and go.

• The yellow, blue and white flags will be shown waved only.

• White flag: an intervention vehicle is on the track; the rider will encounter the vehicle in the current section of the track.

• Interruption of a race during the last lap: 1) for all the riders to whom the chequered flag was shown before the interruption, a partial classification will be established at the end of the last lap of the race. 2) for all the riders to whom the chequered flag was not shown before the interruption, a partial classification will be established at the end of the penultimate lap of the race. 3) the complete classification will be established by combining both partial classifications as per the lap/time procedure.

• Race result: in case of ties, the riders concerned will be ranked in the order of the best lap made during the race.

• Bodywork: the bodywork must not extend beyond a line drawn vertically at the leading edge of the front tire and a line drawn vertically at the rearward edge of the rear tyre. The suspension should be fully extended when the measurement is taken.

Not exactly a spanner in the works, the new rules will take a bit of getting used to, especially the old "a red light will be displayed for between 2 and 5 seconds". We could make a joke about Dorna's lights going out, but we won't.