MotoGP widens the starting grid: What changes from the Sachsenring onward

• Three meters of additional spacing between grid rows starting from the Sachsenring on July 12
• Ride-Height-Devices banned at race starts from the British Grand Prix onward
• First test of the new procedure at the Grand Prix in Brno

A spate of serious start-line crashes has triggered a safety debate in MotoGP over what happens in Turn 1. After several rounds of talks, the teams have agreed on a package of measures designed to ease the dangerous congestion on the brakes into the first corner. The changes will be rolled out in two stages, beginning this summer.

What is MotoGP changing about the starting grid?

The gap between individual grid rows will be increased by three meters, giving riders more room and larger gaps to each other when they pull away. The teams agreed on the change to spread out the number of machines arriving at the first corner simultaneously.

The reasoning is straightforward: most start-line incidents occur at exactly the point where the entire field is packed tightly together, approaching the first braking zone at high speed. More space between the rows should give riders a bit more margin during that critical phase.

When do the new rules take effect?

The wider row spacing comes into force at the Sachsenring round on July 12, while the ban on start devices follows from the British Grand Prix in mid-August, the first race after the summer break. The two measures will therefore be introduced in a staggered fashion.

First, the revised start procedure will be tested at the next round in Brno. If the test proves satisfactory, the proposal will go to the Grand Prix Commission, the series’ regulatory body, which must formally approve the corresponding rule change. Given the broad consensus among all parties, this step is considered a formality.

Why are start devices being banned at race starts?

By banning the so-called Ride-Height-Devices at the start, the series aims to limit the explosive acceleration off the line. These devices lower the rear of the motorcycle, providing better traction at launch, but they also intensify the congestion into the first corner.

The ban was originally planned as part of the new technical regulations for next season, but the Barcelona crash has accelerated its introduction. Unlike the rules taking effect in 2027, riders will still be permitted to use the rear device during the race itself. Initially, there was discussion about applying the ban only at circuits with particularly fast first corners, such as Silverstone and Phillip Island. Ultimately, however, the decision was made to enforce the restriction at all tracks.

What triggered these measures?

The starting point of the discussion is the mass crash during the first restart of the Catalan Grand Prix in mid-May. Johann Zarco sustained a serious knee injury in that incident, from which he has not yet fully recovered. His left leg became trapped in the rear of Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati following a chain reaction under braking into the first corner.

Since that incident, representatives of the series promoter have met repeatedly with the manufacturers’ association MSMA and the teams to develop a strategy against first-corner congestion. A final meeting on Saturday afternoon produced the two-stage plan that has now been approved. MotoGP sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta had previously hinted at the measures, saying of the device ban: “This is a discussion with an expiry date because the devices will no longer be part of the sport in 2027.” The open question, he added, was whether changes could already be made this year.

The debate is part of a broader series of safety discussions that have defined the 2026 season, as the championship responds to a recent cluster of start-line incidents.

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