MotoGP has introduced something of a "soft ban" on restarting following a crash or a major technical problem for 2026, with the upcoming season’s updated rulebook modified to prevent racers from returning to track should their machine for any reason switch off during a session.
The move was first hinted at towards the end of 2025 following a number of incidents where riders either restarted after a crash and left debris on the circuit or where they interfered with others’ laptimes during qualifying by remaining in a position of danger at the end of a qualifying session.
Tentative steps were taken by the stewards after an incident involving Alex Rins in Indonesia, with a promise of further action for 2026 - something that has now been formalised in the updated rule book.
“After a crash or technical problem,” the new rule states, “non-running machines on track or in run-off areas will immediately be taken by the marshals behind the first line of protection where the marshals may assist the rider by lifting and/or holding the machine whilst repairs and/or adjustments are made. Any repairs or adjustments must be made behind the first line of protection, e.g. in the service road, by the rider working alone with no outside assistance except that given by the marshals.
“Marshals may assist the rider to push the machine in order for the rider to restart the machine in the service road. No machines may be push-started track side of the first line of protection. No person other than marshals or riders are permitted on the track side of the first line of protection.”
What that is likely to mean in practice is that slower-speed crashes, where riders are able to remain in contact with their bike and pull the clutch as they’re sliding to prevent the engine from stalling, will not be race-ending - but that faster crashes where the engine’s cutoff switch activates will mean that a rider’s race is essentially over once they fall.
The news brings MotoGP in line with other series such as the British Superbike championship and comes after a number of riders were penalised in 2025 for ignoring the instructions of marshals to move to a safe location to attempt to restart, most notably 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo following a crash out of his home race at Le Mans in May.
Various other minor updates have been made to the rulebook ahead of the final season of the current ruleset (and before the switch of tyre supplier), with a significant cut in the number of Michelin tyres available to teams for private testing ahead of the arrival of Pirelli in 2027.
Teams with rank A concession status will go from having 170 tyres for the season to only 75, while rank B, C and D are reduced from 190 to 84, 220 to 93, and 260 to 115 respectively.
One other minor adjustment removes something of an oddity from the stewarding system by cancelling any in-race penalty (long laps, ride throughs, and grid position penalties) after 365 days should they not be served (something that has happened a number of times when a rider receives a sanction in their final race before leaving the grand prix paddock).
