- The new helmet standard FIMFRHPhe-02 has been mandatory since the start of the 2026 season
- Bagnaia, Bastianini and Moreira were affected in the MotoGP field
- An employee of helmet manufacturer PT Tara had to fly the certification labels personally from Switzerland to Thailand
As if the start of the new MotoGP season hadn’t already brought enough uncertainty and nerves, the opening race in Buriram, Thailand, added yet another source of stress. Of all things, the helmet — arguably a racer’s most important piece of protective equipment — became a problem. Several riders across all three classes were affected and had to improvise at short notice.
New Safety Standard as the Trigger
The background is the new homologation regulation FIMFRHPhe-02 from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), which became mandatory from this season onwards. The new standard was announced three years ago. In addition to significantly tougher impact tests for the helmet shells, particular emphasis was placed on visor retention. Visors must now be designed so they cannot detach from the helmet in a crash.
These stricter requirements pushed helmet manufacturers to their limits. More than one manufacturer failed to complete all certifications in time for the first race weekend. An additional factor complicated matters: each individual helmet size requires a separate homologation, making the entire process considerably more complex.
PT Tara Group at the Center of the Problem
The most prominent case in Thailand involved the Indonesian PT Tara Group, which owns two well-known helmet brands: KYT and Suomy. KYT supplies riders including Enea Bastianini and Diogo Moreira, while Suomy equips two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia. The helmet sizes for the two Italians and the Brazilian only received their homologation on Thursday afternoon, after laboratory tests in Aragon, Spain, had been passed.
Labels from Switzerland, Airspace over Doha Closed
However, a logistical problem arose: the official certification labels can only be printed at FIM headquarters in Mies, Switzerland. A PT Tara employee then flew to Switzerland to collect the labels in person on Friday and subsequently boarded a flight to Thailand with a stopover in Doha. Just two hours after his departure toward Bangkok, airspace over the Middle East was closed due to a conflict, adding further drama to the journey.
Rival Helmets as an Emergency Solution
Since it was unclear whether the certifications would arrive in time for the Friday and Saturday sessions, the three affected riders secured homologated replacement helmets from rival brands. The designs of their regular helmets were transferred onto the substitute helmets, while the actual helmet brand was concealed to avoid potential legal conflicts with existing sponsorship contracts.
Bastianini rode with an Arai model on Friday but did not feel entirely comfortable with it. On Saturday, he therefore switched to an Alpinestars helmet. Bagnaia, one of Suomy’s most prominent brand ambassadors, received special attention: two employees from the helmet manufacturer’s racing department were stationed at the entrance to the Ducati garage to receive his feedback directly.
Back to Their Own Helmets on Sunday
By race Sunday, all affected riders were finally able to use their regular helmets during the warm-up. The certification labels had arrived and been properly sewn into the helmets. What began as a bureaucratic problem had dragged on throughout the entire weekend, causing additional stress for the affected riders during an already tense period.
The situation raises questions about how well transition periods work for such fundamental rule changes. The FIM had announced the new standard three years in advance, yet this lead time apparently wasn’t sufficient for some manufacturers to homologate all sizes on time. The fact that a rider like Bagnaia — the reigning top rider and a prominent figurehead for his helmet sponsor — was affected underscores the scale of the problem.
→ For all information on the MotoGP 2026 season – teams, riders, calendar & standings – visit our MotoGP 2026 Season Overview.
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